It takes courage for a vocalist to go completely out of her usual genre
and tackle something completely different (as the Monty Pythons would
say). Most of the forays into pop or jazz by operatic singers
have fallen pretty flat (both literally and figuratively), and pop or
rock singers doing the standards from the Great American Songbook
haven’t always been that much more successful. I was surprise to
read that this is Carly’s fourth album of standards, so it’s obviously
not just a lark that she had or her label pushed her into.
I haven’t auditioned the earlier CDs, but this one is not bad.
There are lots of better specialists in this repertory, including some
who fall more into the cabaret singer mold – really wringing a lot of
feeling out of those lyrics. But then there’s that totally
individual Carly Simon voice and style, and if you’re a fan she can do
no wrong. Plus the arrangements are clever and tasteful – not a large
ensemble but providing a perfect backing for Carly’s mezzo-y voice, and
in a style that harks back to the great singers with the big bands, but
without sounding a bit retro. Carly, I Got you Under My Skin.
Tracks: Moonlight Serenade, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, I Only Have
Eyes for You, Moonglow, Alone Together, In the Still of the Night, The
More I See You, Where Or When, My One and Only Love, All the Things You
Are, How Long Has This Been Going On.
– John Henry
