CD Review: Audrey Silver - Dream Awhile

It is easy to tell, by the pure joy of Audrey Silver's voice on Dream Awhile, that this 2009 collection is the singer's favorite jazz standards. Silver amazing, glimmering tone shines all throughout, especially on the up-tempo, swinging tracks "I Will Wait For You," "Exactly Like You" and Irving Berlin's "The Song Is Ended." She even adds some Ella Fitzgerald-like scatting on "Falling In Love With Love."
Silver's sophisticated, classy phrasing makes her an equally good interpreter of ballads. Her delivery on "In The Wee Small Hours," "That's All" and Sergio Mendes' "So Many Stars" is beautiful and sensitive.

Johnny Mercer's "Too Marvelous For Words" receives a different treatment. with a slower and simpler, but effective arrangement, plus some melody changes by Silver that makes this a very interesting version. Silver also plays a little bit with the melody on "Exactly Like You"

Pianist Joe Barbato handles almost all the arrangements on Dream Awhile,\ including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," where at certain moments Silver sings over just Joe Fitzgerald's powerful, swinging bass, while on "I Could Write a Book" it's an intimate duo of piano and voice. On the other hand, the cool voice, bass and percussion intro to "Falling in Love With Love"—before going into a full swing groove—and the waltz feel on Billy Strayhorn's "Day Dream," are both Silver arrangements.

With Dream Awhile Silver proves she has the talent to be included among today's best jazz female singers.

Track Listing: The Song Is Ended; In The Wee Small Hours; Falling In Love With Love; Too Marvelous For Words; I Will Wait For You; So Many Stars; Exactly Like You; That's All; I Can't Give You Anything But Love; Day Dream; I Could Write A Book.

Personnel: Audrey Silver: vocals; Joe Barbato: piano; Joe Fitzgerald: bass; Chris Bergson: guitar (3, 7, 10); Anthony Pinciotti: drums; Todd Isler: drums (3, 10), percussion (3).