Midnight Muncie IN

Midnight

Diane Schuur

Concord Records, 2003

REVIEW BY: Duke Egbert

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/30/2003

Multiple-Grammy winner and jazz vocalist Diane Schuur has asmooth, supple voice that's a joy to listen to. So you gotta figurethat if she's having fun singing, it's going to be a pretty specialwork. You'd be absolutely right, O Ye DV Faithful, and Midnight is the time to hear some pretty fine jazz.

Schuur has been called 'our generation's Ella Fitzgerald', andher rich full tone can wrap itself around a song and make it hers.On Midnight, she teams up with longtime friend Barry Manilow asproducer -- and before you run screaming, do bear in mind thatManilow's jazz and swing work, his 2 A.M Paradise Cafe stuff, is astonishingly good (I confess,I even like some of his other stuff). His touch as producer islight, but full, allowing the song choice and Schuur's astonishingthree-and-a-half octave range to take center stage. Theinstrumentation is excellent, supportive without being intrusive;special kudos have to go to percussionist Peter Erskine, whomanages to lay down some perfect beats without ruining theessential smoothness of the recording.

Midnight is an interesting collection of songs. Schuurbounces around between cover versions -- a truly breathtakingversion of Johnny Mercer's "When October Goes", also recorded byManilow on his Paradise Café CD -- and originals, like thesamba-laced "What Is Love?", with its clever and precise lyrics.The Brazilian notes continue on the elegant and lovely "Our LoveWill Always Be There". Other tracks of note include the CD'sopener, "Meet Me, Midnight"; the wistful and smoky "Consider ThePoint From Both Ends"; the heartbreaking "Goodbye My Love"; and thefinal joyful duet with Manilow, "Anytime". The real jewel, though,is Schuur's duet with labelmate Karrin Allyson, the Bruce Sussmanstandard "Stay Away From Bill". Great stuff, simply great.

Midnight is one of the best jazz standards CDs I've heard ina very long time, and is a strong candidate for this year's Top Tenlist. As Schuur herself puts it, 'Some rise at sunrise and thinkit's a wow // That's really nice if you're milking acow"…but Midnight is really where it's at.