At the Linda (fast becoming one of the areas premier jazz spots) Stigers -- looking sharp in a pin-striped suit -- took the stage with a comfortable, easy manner, and with a small combo of piano, bass and drums he jumped into sizzling ride through "That's All Right, Mama," as his sax serpentined around the simple chord changes and his capable band found its footing.

He put the sax down for "You're All That Matters to Me," as its dynamic delivery hit home with the intimate crowd -- a quiet scat singing outro was quite impressive. He both started and ended the tune by swinging his arms and making the sounds of a drum kit, for which he offered a quasi-apology by saying "Where I come from they have a term for that; it's called 'self-indulgence.' "

Love song "Columbus Avenue" was sensual and smoky, and Joe Jackson's "Fools In Love" was thick and heavy compared with the original. He then utilized a squeak in the stage -- rocking back and forth on it in tempo -- to kick off the high-powered 'My Babe" (Willie Dixon) as the crowd went wild.

For Stigers, even the stage is an instrument.

A song for daughter Ruby, "Lullaby On The Hudson," was lush and dreamy; at times, the lyric just whispered in an engaging reading.

He gave his special treatment to the Beatles' "I Feel Fine," which worked surprisingly well in a clever arrangement. With just spare piano accompaniment, Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (The title track of his latest CD on Concord Records), was a haunting highlight, while "I Can't Stand Losing You" (The Police) was swinging like no tomorrow.

Stigers closed with an absolutely killer take of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice."

Beyond his considerable vocal prowess and sax skills, Stigers' real talent is his open-minded willingness to cross-pollinate genres, proving that a good song is a good song regardless of labels. By mixing rock, blues jazz and pop tunes together, his show was never redundant and a joy to witness.

David Malachowski is a local freelance writer from Woodstock and a regular contributor to the Times Union.

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