Reviews

---

All That Jazz

Looking for an evening of jazz that’s a little different than what you’re used to? Look no further than local chanteuse Susan Abod’s upcoming performance at Tiny’s. The singer’s past includes training from Chicago’s DePaul University, membership in rock bands and a solo European tour. Now, Abod delivers quirky songs and stories that harken back to the days of cabaret and parlor entertainment. With the exception of a few covers (look for a jazzy rendition from Peter Pan the Musical), the bulk of Abod’s performance will be original tunes culled from her personal experiences. “When I started playing with [local jazz pianist] Bert Dalton, he really encouraged me to perform my own music,” Abod says. “It really spurred me on to write new stuff—some of which you’ll hear at the show—and get working on a new album I hope to release soon.” Get out and support some jazz and, with a little luck, Abod will become a regular fixture at Tiny’s.

Alex DeVore
Santa Fe Reporter Pick
July 20, 2011

---

She’s Got Rhythm

Susan is one of five top local musicians featured in the April/May 2011 issue of Santa Fean magazine (the issue’s theme is “Locals We Love”). We’re happy to report that author Craig Smith calls her “a musician’s musician”; to read more, click on the link below and flip to pages 38/39.

Santa Fean Magazine
April/May, 2011

---

A Santa Fe Pick

“Susan Abod and friends perform jazz as easily as you do whatever thing is really easy for you—more easily, even.”

Santa Fe Reporter Pick
Jan. 19, 2011

---

Fajitas, With a Side of Jazz Tiny’s Restaurant & Lounge continues a Santa Fe musical tradition

“Make no mistake. J.R. Palermo, owner of Tiny’s Restaurant & Lounge in Santa Fe, is a businessman. He’s the third generation of the place’s founding family—it was established in 1950 as Tiny’s Dine and Dance—and he continues the tradition by booking live music at the place. But the music has to carry its weight.” Read more….

By Mel Minter
Alibi – Vol 20, Issue 2
January 13-19, 2011

---

Scatting Back in Time

“Jazz is part of the musical mix these days at Tiny’s Restaurant & Lounge. Owner J.R. Palermo has Mark “Chief” Sanchez and Susan Abod alternating on Wednesday evenings at the establishment located at the corner of St. Francis Drive and Cerrillos Road.” Read more…

Paul Weideman
The New Mexican
January 14-20, 2011

---

Singing With a Freedom That Exhilarated the Audience!

“Blessed with a clear, expressive voice, daring playfulness and an empathetic heart, Abod filled the songs with a living presence that was irresistibly unpredictable.” Read more…

Mel Minter
Alibi– Vol 18, Issue 28
July 9-15, 2009

---

What a Gem!

“Santa Fe boasts some hidden gems like Susan Abod … her voice is still stellar.”

Santa Fe Reporter
January 8, 2002

---

Abod to Admire

There’s no doubt that Susan Abod’s sweet, high and full voice is very easy to listen to. But it’s not ’till a few songs in that her CD really kicks in as far as the whole shebang of singing and songwriting …On ” You’ve Got What It Takes, ” with tasty guitar from Rick Harris, Abod’s cabaret sensibilities and sense of humor are made clear. Song styles eventually encompass jazz, folk, blues and pop…makes for a welcome recording debut.

Ed Symkus
TAB Community Newspapers

---

A Silky Smooth Musical Road

Susan is back again with “In the Moment”, a beautiful self-produced collection of songs that take us from those funky early days (the aforementioned “You’d Look Swell”) to the present. Her impressive background is not a reason to buy a CD, of course, but I’m pleased to recommend it for another reason: her incredible voice. Sassy and brassy one minute, supple and slinky the next, she can cover a multi-octave span with seemingly effortless ease. Organized into three sections, this 16-song collection (available from www.susanabod.com, and locally at HMV, and Rhythm & Muse) is mainly about “what else? love”. Love of life in the moment, love of music, love of the goddess/god within and without, and of course, good old down and dirty, high and flighty, romantic love.

Marcia Deihl
The Women’s Forum
excerpted from

May 18, 2001

---

** 1/2

Watertown based singer-songwriter Susan Abod has had more than her share of problems. Suffering from Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivities, she was forced to curtail her career in the 1980’s. Now she has returned with a CD titled after an original anthem, “In the Moment”, a testament to living each day to its fullest.The CD has three parts. The first, a two-song set, features the title tune and “Love to Sing” in which she covers styles from jazz to rock plus folk and theatrical (the “lullaby of Birdland” section is terrific). The second, seven-song part tends toward cabaret, including the poignant “Goodbye” and the amusing “The Process Song,” one of the collection’s few uptempo numbers. In the third part of spiritual songs, Abod shines with a touching, simple interpretation of “Up on the Roof” and her own “Soliloquy”, whose lyrics paint a vivid picture of a sick-bed encounter with an AIDS patient. Abod has a soft, sweet voice that wraps itself nicely around touching lyrics.”

Mark Chapman
excerpted from

May 18-24, 2001

---

Singing in the Moment

After a long medical hiatus, singer/songwriter Susan Abod has taken musical stock of her life and is now sharing her story in her original medium. ON “In the Moment”, the theatre producer and filmmaker spans 15 years, returning to her first love and returning to her self with a combination of touching and funny songs about difficult ordeals and getting past them. “I Love to Sing” is a burning torch which reaffirms Abod’s passion, a passion which is demonstrated in such tunes as the swoony piano ballad “You’ve Got What It Takes” (which includes the line, “you got the bagels, I’ll get the lox”) and the Cole Porter-worthy “You’d Look Swell in Nothing.” Among the covers are a comfortably reading of John Bucchino’s, “It Feels Like Home,” an airy course over Carole King’s “Up on the Roof” and a sparklingly descriptive mining of Shawn Colvin’s “Diamond in the Rough.” Though the three parts of the album are loosely themed at best, the songs are fun when they want to be and serious when they need to be, poking fun at the process of coping while helping Abod cope with a dream differed and hope.

Mark Chapman
excerpted from