“The first time I heard Susan Abod sing In the Moment, her honest, sumptuous voice carried me. She sang about facing her fears, about taking small steps and moving slowly through moments of anxiety and doubt.  She sang about discovering a place of courage, promise and peace.  This was a voice I wanted to hear more of, and with this debut CD, Susan has provided.

Whether playfully describing her passion for singing in I love to Sing or mourning the loss of love in Goodbye, Susan songs are infused with an intimacy and a zest for living that makes this first recording sparkle.

In the sensual blues number, You’ve Got What It Takes and Lose Myself in You, her nimble voice dives into the adventure of romance with soulful exhilaration.  The Process Song which makes fun of therapeutic lingo and the Cole Porter-esque You’d Look Swell In Nothing demonstrate a fresh comic wit.  Heartache and loss are explored with graceful intensity in the music theater-styled Soliloquy.

Susan’s inclusion of two instrumental pieces for this collection Meditation and the sweet tender Lullaby show versatility in her music writing.  Her strength as a creative song stylist is evident in the tunes she covers such as her expressive intimate renditions of Shawn Colvin’s Diamond in the Rough and Carole King’s Up on the Roof.

The CD is divided in to sections that separate playful cabaret-style and pop, jazz and blues tunes from reflective songs of inner exploration. Such introspection was undoubtedly fueled by an illness that kept susan from creating music for more than a decade a hiatus that may in part be responsible for the empathy and depth of understanding that distinguishes Susan’s creative voice.

A sculptor once told me that a long hiatus from scultpting had been every bit as important to her creativity as time spending molding wax or clay.  The respite was a time of confluence.  A time of germination.  A time of healing,  In the Moment presents just such a synthesis from an exception singer-songwriter with a tenacity of spirit and an exquisite sensitivity.

Susan once told me she knew at eight years old that she wanted to write and perform her songs. When at that age, she imagined a bohemian lifestyle, a small funky, urban apartment and a steady nightclub gig.  Few people are willing to persist in the courageous act of relocating and excavating their dreams.  This debut is just such an act of resilience.

Mary Jo Palumbo, Arts Writer Boston Herald