Songs are a mystery to me. I can suss out most symphonies after two or three listens; threatened with a gun or a hefty commission, I could crank out a four-movement orchestral opus in a month or two. But write a song? My brief stint as a wannabe punk rocker in the early 1980s and a subsequent ill-advised foray into writing a progressive rock opera about Nietzsche taught me the difficulty of memorably melding words and music.

Regardless of style--classical, jazz, avant, pop, or any mixture thereof--a great song leads listeners through a unique and addictive emotional ritual. We remember the arc of the words, singing or mouthing along as if living the lyrics, thrilling to the arrival (and resolution) of a musical hook, and when it's over, we're ready to hear (and live through) the whole thing again.

Dedicated to preserving big band jazz, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has put together a sequel to last year's successful Great American Songbook concert and imported Marlena Shaw, a veteran vocalist of the Count Basie Orchestra and a soulful, seasoned singer. Together, they'll tackle tunes by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, and other great songsmiths of yore. Loaded with local all-star players, the SRJO excels at ballads and midtempo numbers, so this concert should be a treat.

If you've got kids, catch the SRJO's hour-long Jazz4Kids concert at Benaroya on Saturday, March 13, at 4 pm. The gig is free, but call the number below for advance tickets. CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

The SRJO plays Sat March 13 (Recital Hall at Benaroya, Third Ave and Union St, 523-6159) at 7:30 pm, and Sun March 14 (Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave, 523-6159) at 3 pm, $16-$30.

chris@delaurenti.net