Shannon Soderlund, the Queens, NY based jazz-pop singer graced Rockwood Music Hall with her presence on Wednesday night and did not disappoint. While small in stature, Shannon bowled the crowd over with her powerful voice. She sang her songs mostly with eyes closed, but that didn’t affect her connection with the rapt audience. What starts out as a seemingly “girl next door” vibe quickly morphed into what I likened to a jazzy version of Christina Aguilera, but with far less bravado… which is a good thing.
Singing selections from her short but sweet EP, “Innocent Heart,” my favorite was “Secretary,” a song about a tiny desk, which also was entered into NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Contest. Another song that got the crowd riled up was an unsual choice of “Que Sera Sera,” which Shannon noted it was “sung in the style of Sly & The Family Stone.” This was an important distinction because this could have gone left quickly, but with a few soulful flourishes and impressive restraint kept it from leaning into its inherently campy, “sing-songy” nature. Shannon belted out the chorus with confidence, earning applause and cheers from the crowd.
Her set was short, lasting a little over a half hour, but the time was used wisely. She had a wonderful rapport with her band as well, as everyone appeared to be great spirits and smiled throughout their entire performance. The only thing I wished was different was that the talkative people at the bar would have quieted down to hear some of the softer moments that were quite beautiful, and I was lucky enough to hear at my spot at the foot of the stage.
Article by: Lesley Keller