New York Times
Nate Chinen 

KATE MCGARRY SEXTET On her fine new album, “The Target” (Palmetto), Ms. McGarry applies a vision of pop pluralism to the craft of jazz singing, without slighting either side of the equation. She appears with some of the same musicians here, including the guitarist Keith Ganz, the organist Gary Versace and the saxophonist Donny McCaslin. (Through May 13.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Jazz Standard, 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.net; cover, $20. (Chinen)

The Target/ review by Judith Schlesinger For ALL ABOUT JAZZ

There's a whole lot of nonsense in Vocal Land these days, since it's so easy for the earnest but talent-challenged to produce a CD and hire a publicist. There are occasional gems in the mud, for sure, but the field is crowded with wannabes. And the majors don't help when they push faux sexuality, or turn happy songs into dirges and try to sell that as “depth.”

Into this climate of cynical manipulation comes Kate McGarry's third CD, The Target, and it's a blessed relief. When McGarry sings, you hear not only a distinctively sweet, flexible, and textured voice, but a generous spirit, open heart, and searching intelligence. Her top-drawer band plays with equal creativity and care, and together they freshen a wide variety of tunes, from Miles to Sting to show tunes and standards. The originals are philosophical as well as catchy, but there's no sermon here, not with all this humor and playfulness. Instead, there's a true celebration of the range of human experience, and not a gram of nonsense to be found.

This CD's positive message rides in on unusually splendid music. Gary Versace is equally eloquent on organ, piano, and accordion—which he plays far closer to the bandoleon than the polka—and McGarry and husband/guitarist Keith Ganz sound like two halves of the same brain. Bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson are consistently tasteful and right, while Donny McCaslin's tenor pours gritty honey over three tracks, adding just enough edge to the proceedings.

The Target is also thoughtfully sequenced to enhance the appreciation of each song. For example, the subtle sensuality of “The Lamp is Low” provides an intriguing contrast with the bawdy fun that follows it (”Do Something”); then things quiet down with “She Always Will,” which encourages us to consider the deeper meaning of it all.

Like most vocal CDs, this one describes a range of love, but it deliberately leaves us with hope—it opens with love's loss (the clever “Meaning of the Blues”) and ends with love's tender beginning (the charming “New Love Song,” written for McGarry by Ganz. On the way, McGarry swings Luciana Souza's “No Wonder,” revels in “Nobody Else But Me,” enriches the classic “Blue in Green” with lyrical wisdom, and finds new colors in “It Might as Well Be Spring.” It should also be noted that McGarry's take on “The Heather on the Hill,” with Versace's psychic accompaniment, is one of the most intimate and beautiful ballads I've ever heard.

It's a rare pleasure to write this kind of review; the only problem is knowing when to stop. By now it should be clear that The Target is a very special CD from an artist who grows with every new project: Kate McGarry's talent is unique and powerful, and it's blossoming. Enjoy!

The Target reviewed by Suzanna Lorge: All About Jazz 

Kate McGarry makes full use of her lilting, pitch- perfect voice on The Target, her third release for Palmetto Records. Like many jazz singers today, McGarry culls some of her musical ideas from non-jazz idioms like pop and folk; in McGarry’s case, this hybridization of influences expands rather than limits her individual vocal expression. According to the Palmetto Records website, McGarry bears the distinction of being the first and only vocalist signed to the label. An odd distinction—perhaps the company doesn’t like vocalists. McGarry, though, is hard not to like.

At first listen McGarry’s performance is simple—deceptively so. Her vocals move effortlessly through the innovative arrangements of jazz classics, revamped standards and pop/folk originals; her phrasing is spare and direct, with only the most necessary of embellishments on her heartfelt melody lines.

McGarry takes the title of the CD from her original tune, “The Target (Miracles Like These).” Here the singer/songwriter’s multifarious influences are most apparent: What starts as a simple ballad à la Suzanne Vega morphs into a lush composition with folkish background vocals, percussive effects and colorful jazz extensions. The two other originals on the CD, “She Always Will” (music by guitarist Steve Cardenas and lyrics by McGarry) and “New Love Song” (music and lyrics by McGarry’s husband, guitarist Keith Ganz), uphold the promise extended by McGarry’s artful treatment of the more well-known tunes on the CD. (It isn’t always that originals can hold their own against standards, but McGarry’s songwriting team is solid.)

Among the better-known tunes are the reflective ballad “Blue In Green” (Miles Davis), featuring solos by McGarry, Reuben Rogers (bass) and Gary Versace (organ) and a fervent rendition of “The Meaning of the Blues” (Troup-Worth). McGarry also includes two Broadway standards in her jazz repertoire: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Heather on the Hill” from Brigadoon and Lerner and Loewe’s “It Might As Well Be Spring” from State Fair. The band’s sensitive harmonic interpretation and McGarry’s understated delivery of these two chestnuts directs the listener’s focus to the lyrics, which are warm and optimistic. Indeed, all of McGarry’s CD is that way, without a bit of treacle and that seems to be the target that McGarry holds in her view

Editorial Reviews  Amazon.com

Kate McGarry's third CD is a significant event in the jazz vocal world as she further develops a personal amalgam--sometimes impassioned, sometimes reflective-- that includes jazz standards and originals, elements of Celtic folk and improvised counterpoint. Guitarist Keith Ganz and keyboardist Gary Versace provide empathetic frameworks and subtle interaction on the sometimes dream-like songs, with a propulsive foundation from bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson, who have worked so well with Dianne Reeves. McGarry takes risks with the tradition, breathing fresh life into standards like "It Might as Well as Be Spring" and "Nobody Else but Me" by continuously transforming the original melodies. Meanwhile those folk influences give a heightened emotional emphasis to her lyrics, including her apt recasting of the Miles Davis-Bill Evans classic "Blue in Green." Best of all is the title song, a keening anthem to redemption ("If miracles like these are possible") that gets heightened power from voice loops and saxophonist Donny McCaslin’s intense contribution. --Stuart Broome

MIDWEST RECORD RECAP 

KATE McGARRY/Target: An interpreter of classics with a progressive

edge, McGarry separates herself from the pack in a lot of ways, all of which

continue to be interesting for anyone with an ear toward breaking

boundaries.  Something different that doesn¹t wear it on it¹s sleeve just

for that sake of being different