Minnesotans have the great fortune this fall to hear both Siegel and Bentyne as solo acts at the Dakota, while also having the opportunity to the see the full Manhattan Transfer at Orchestra Hall (November 20th). Siegel has performed at the Dakota several times before, and her star burned as brightly as ever during her two-night, 4-set stand in late September.

Across sets, Siegel provided the audience with a wide range of material, from ballad to bawdy, Broadway to park bench, straight vocal to scat and instrumentalese. Her far reaching contralto and imaginative arrangements were only part of the show, as she introduced most of the playlist with anecdotes and humor. And while she was the top billing, the trio of pianist Alan Pasqua, bassist Darek Oles, and drummer Steve Hass proved to be worthy not only of their leader, but of raves of their own. This is no back-up band, but a trio of top flight artists, each capable of carrying a gig anywhere in the world.

Although expected to draw largely from her new release, Sketches of Broadway (2004, Telarc), at each of the three sets I attended. Siegel featured no more than four of the CD's selections, with identical choices for each of the opening sets. However, as is generally true for creative artists and arrangers like Siegel, there were some identifiable variations on second presentation. At the end of her fall tour, her energy and power seemed to flag a bit in the first set on the second night, but by the time she belted out the opening of "The Late Late Show," she seemed invigorated and, if anything, had saved the best for last.

Siegel's choices from the new recording included two vastly contrasting tunes from the pen of Stephen Sondheim, the wistful commentary on marriage, "Sorry-Grateful" (from Company), and the sassy, pyro-technically articulated, "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" (from Follies), sung only with Pasqua's light-hearted accompaniment. She opened both early sets with Lerner and Lowe's "Show Me" and gave it another turn in the middle of the last set as well, but each time she offered a different nuance of phrasing, note-bending, and pacing, and the final rendition featured a more up-front, sparkling introduction from bassist Oles. "It Never Was You," from a little-known musical (Knickbocker's Holiday) by masters Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson, provided space and melody for Siegel to show a sweet passion for tune and lyric. Similarly she presented a recently written song from a Norweigian vocalist (Signe Neirgard?), "Japanese Blue," highlighting not only her deft treatment of melody but also her transformation of voice to a mournful woodwind, almost reminiscent of oboe or wood flute.

Siegel included gems from the Gershwins, "My Ship" (Ira with Kurt Weill) and the Ella Fitzgerald favorite, the brothers' "How Long Has This Been Going On," which indeed provided its share of "chills" and "thrills" and made me long for an all-Gershwin set. Both these tunes (presented back-to-back in the last set) are well-worn standards, but gleamed in the voice of a veteran songstress who knows how to make the overly familiar fresh and engaging. The latter tune further benefited from Pasqua's melodic prelude to one of his many inventive deconstructions.

Siegel is a consummate storyteller, sometimes using only her voice, sometimes letting the lyrics tell the tale. Audience favorites, both nights, "I Can't Be New," took on a simultaneously feisty and longing quality as the frustrations of fading love unfolded, while "Jackie" featured mile-a-minute bouncy lyrics that (almost subliminally) told the story of a "bebop mouse" encountering Pres and Bird.

Siegel was at her best when scatting and particularly when transforming her voice into a muted trumpet. Her rendition of "My Love" broached Peggy Lee's fire as she nearly twisted the vocals into "Fever," with the added element of a Miles Davis-like scat; in fact this was one of the best "muted trumpet" solos I've heard recently. A special treat during the last set was a duet with local chanteuse Judi Donaghy, a mainstay at the Times Bar with the quartet, The Girls. Acquainted with Donaghy from a Bobby McFerrin project, Siegel had conducted a workshop with her earlier in the day at MusicTech and, with their off-beat presentation of "Skylark," the two continued the master class at the Dakota, alternating lead and vocalese response, taking the Hoagy Carmichael standard into R & B tinged territory.

The show belonged to Siegel but the band had a few opportunities to stretch out on instrumental numbers. And throughout each set, their individual and collaborative efforts, soloing or in support, were well worth the price of admission.