In a way, that defines McGovern’s career. Part of her comes from the schooled side of music, when composers wrote printed material for theatrical shows and cabaret. And another side comes from the oral tradition of the singer-songwriters who played by ear and recorded original material. “When I was in third grade, I knew singing would be my life,” McGovern said in a recent telephone interview from her home in the New York countryside.

“I just didn’t know what kind.” On Sunday, McGovern, 58, will perform a pair of shows at the Annenberg Auditorium at Eisenhower Medical Center that reflect how she views music from both sides now. With the accompaniment of music director Jeff Harris, she’ll perform music from the Great American Songbook for the first half of the concert and singer-songwriter material from the 1960s and beyond (dubbed “The Long and Winding Road” after The Beatles hit) for the second act.

“Great singers have always impressed me,” McGovern says, “but what impressed me about the ’60s was all of the different kinds of music. The music you heard on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ translated to the radio. It was a wonderfully experimental time for its writing. Stephen Holden of the New York Times calls it ‘the second half’ of the Great American Songbook.” McGovern seemingly defies categorization because of her almost unique assemblage and wide array of influences.

To baby boomers, she’s that singer from the ’70s disaster movies, like “Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno.” But McGovern’s also known as a pure Broadway and cabaret singer. A protege of Mel Torme, she’s been praised for her four-octave voice and interpretations of the Gershwins and the Bergmans. She’s won awards for her musical theater roles on and off Broadway. McGovern says she views singing as “a musical conversation” and loves to discuss a wide range of topics.