It's a BIG voice, and Carol has the personality to match. In fact, she often reminded me of the legendary, over-the-top jazz diva Dakota Staton, particularly with her slightly vinegary tone and playful, kittenish manner. If Carol seemed completely at ease, even downright frisky, while performing the compositions of Richard Whiting, she had good reason to be: a longtime de facto member of the Whiting family, she was mentored by Richard's daughter, the late, great Margaret Whiting. Making the circle complete for this evening of Whiting song, Margaret's musical director and accompanist of 25 years, Tex Arnold, performed in the same capacity for Carol.

Tex's sympathetic accompaniment and unique arrangements, combined with Carol's powerhouse vocals, breathed new life into these songs, the earliest of which was written nearly 90 years ago. That none of the songs seemed self-consciously "old fashioned" is a testament to the hard work these pros have put into this show, and the care they've taken with the material. A slight bossa nova beat, for instance, gave "My Ideal" a new sheen of sophistication, wholly appropriate for an adult woman's interpretation of the lyric, rather than that of a yearning ingenue. Perhaps the most stunning arrangement of the evening was "Can't Teach My Old Heart New Tricks," with metronome-like piano lines rendering it evocative of someone sitting alone and desolate in their apartment, listening to the building creak and the clock tick. 

However, as impressive as these performances were, what really sent the audience into a frenzy were the rollicking uptempo numbers, beginning with the tongue-in-cheek "Have You Got Any Castles, Baby?", which Carol delivered with devilish glee. Even better, and more rafter-raising, were two blues numbers, "Sittin' on the Curbstone" and "Somebody's Wrong," the former delivered with rumbustuous comic wit, and the latter torn into as if if were her last meal. Other highlights included a clever medley of "Beyond the Blue Horizon" and "Gasoline Gypsies" (which also slyly interpolated a familiar vamp from the Broadway musical "Chicago," with which Carol has a years-long association as Mama Morton) and the precious discovery of a previously unfinished, unpublished  collaboration between Whiting and Gus Kahn, "A Day Away from Town," newly harmonized by Tex Arnold and now introduced by Carol.

The set wound down with stellar performances of two of Whiting's best known ballads, ones which are also closely associated with formidable, legendary ladies: "She's Funny That Way," well known to many from Billie Holiday's gender-switching hit recording, and "When Did You Leave Heaven?", which became one of Nancy Wilson's signature tunes. That Carol made both songs completely her own, and in those moments, erased the memory of Holiday and Wilson's beautiful recordings, is no small feat, and taken together, made for an emotionally soaring close to a well-constructed program. The coda for the evening, of course, had to be the Whiting song which gives the show its title; I won't give any "spoilers," but suffice to say, Carol's funny take on this well-worn chestnut ends the show on a...high note. 

Besides the talents of Carol and Tex, this show benefits tremendously from the smart, well-paced direction of Scott Coulter and the contributions of bassist Saadi Zahn and drummer Steve Singer (who was particularly slick on this evening). Time tested material given a fresh, sparkling spin, expertly performed by a Real Deal Diva? We got fun, indeed.