Multiple-Grammy winner and jazz vocalist Diane Schuur has a
smooth, supple voice that’s a joy to listen to. So you gotta figure
that if she’s having fun singing, it’s going to be a pretty special
work. 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’, and
her rich full tone can wrap itself around a song and make it hers.
On
Midnight, she teams up with longtime friend Barry Manilow as
producer — and before you run screaming, do bear in mind that
Manilow’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 is
light, but full, allowing the song choice and Schuur’s astonishing
three-and-a-half octave range to take center stage. The
instrumentation is excellent, supportive without being intrusive;
special kudos have to go to percussionist Peter Erskine, who
manages to lay down some perfect beats without ruining the
essential smoothness of the recording.
Midnight is an interesting collection of songs. Schuur
bounces around between cover versions — a truly breathtaking
version of Johnny Mercer’s “When October Goes”, also recorded by
Manilow on his
Paradise Café CD — and originals, like the
samba-laced “What Is Love?”, with its clever and precise lyrics.
The Brazilian notes continue on the elegant and lovely “Our Love
Will Always Be There”. Other tracks of note include the CD’s
opener, “Meet Me, Midnight”; the wistful and smoky “Consider The
Point From Both Ends”; the heartbreaking “Goodbye My Love”; and the
final joyful duet with Manilow, “Anytime”. The real jewel, though,
is Schuur’s duet with labelmate Karrin Allyson, the Bruce Sussman
standard “Stay Away From Bill”. Great stuff, simply great.
Midnight is one of the best jazz standards CDs I’ve heard in
a very long time, and is a strong candidate for this year’s Top Ten
list. As Schuur herself puts it, ‘Some rise at sunrise and think
it’s a wow // That’s really nice if you’re milking a
cow”…but
Midnight is really where it’s at.
