11/13/07
CREATIVE SERVICE COMPANY
IRENE & Her Latin Jazz Band/Summer Samba: Of course it would be very nice. It was very nice 40 years ago and it still is. Rounding up a bunch of Latin/Brazilian classics for gringos that we all know and love, Irene’s spin is to hunt down the forgotten or unedited lyrics and bring them out front. With a crack crew of well traveled Latin musicians rounding out the sound, this well traveled journeywoman puts the sum total of her travels into this tasty set of vacation music that never let’s the summer end. Fun stuff that your average gringo never gets enough of.
8201 (www.Irenesings.com)
PS CLASSICS
LAUREN KENNEDY/Here and Now: From “Spamalot” to “South Pacific”, Kennedy has proven herself to be more than a comer when it comes to Broadway, and now she’s using her upper echelon status to give voice to a bunch of up and coming songwriters that are giving rise to new Broadway and pop songs. Far from being a grande dame, Kennedy is just a hard working gal that is on a sharp assent that knows her way around a righteous song and knows how to make everyone involved shine. Quite a tasty workout that urbane tastes will embrace gleefully.
752
VICTORIA CLARK/15 Seconds of Grace: The Tony winner shows why she is one of the leading lights of musical theater with this winning vocal collection that let’s the light shine on her pure performance with a set card that’s well mixed and well chosen. Simply a solid work that demands frequent plays, this is a must for vocal fans.
755
ANDREA BURNS/A Deeper Shade of Red: The latest songbird to wow Broadway audiences turns up a mixed bag of Broadway and singer/songwriter songs from when she was a kid. Long on wow while not resorting to histrionics to get her sound across, this is a solid send up loaded with the kind of charm and charisma that seeds long, well loved careers. Vocals fans have probably already taken note and can be expected to spread the word.
756
JONATHAN LARSON/Jonathan Sings Larson: The writer behind “Rent” finds his demos exposed as the latest entry in the label’s songwriter series. Rounded out with some songs not widely known and a performances DVD, any of his legion of fans will find this a great keepsake as the writer takes them into his behind the scenes world showing off what he had on tap and giving an idea of where he would have gone if he didn’t leave the planet early. A solid collection for the real, contemporary Broadway fan.
757
Volume 31/Number 13
November 13, 2007
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
©2007 Midwest Record