If you can put the dollars together to see and hear Jack Jones at the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room, do yourself the musical favor and thank us later. Nobody does it like an old pro, and Jones is an old pro who has matured into a master. Never during this one-hour act does he hit a wrong note, either literally or figuratively speaking. From his playful offstage self-introduction to the stunning arrangements that his voice negotiates with practiced ease, he is entirely and delightfully in charge.
Leaving nothing to chance, Jones tells us in advance that the act is a loosely organized look at the many stages of a love affair; then he acts as our guide throughout the program, announcing just where we are on this rollercoaster of the heart. He gives us one great song after another, all of them sensationally arranged and beautifully sung. He uses his warm, smooth sound in such tunes as “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Stranger in Paradise,” “Just One of Those Things,” and lots of other great standards.
Not all of the songs that Jones sings here are famous, but count on his immaculate taste. He offers up a superb yet little-heard number by Michel Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman, “One at a Time.” He also gives us one of his early pop hits, Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s amusingly dated “Wives and Lovers.” Jones will only continue at the Oak Room through this week, so take advantage of this rare New York City appearance; he’s one of the most assured and natural performers you’ll ever come across.
