Search - Cleo Laine :: Sings Sondheim

A meeting of two great artists

m.nell@rf.roccadefinance.nl | Kampen, The Netherlands | 02/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have owned this CD since its initial release in 1988, when a friend bought it for me in America. Already both a Sondheim and a Cleo Laine fan, I fell on it like the proverbial ton of bricks and for weeks it never left my CD player for any length of time. Twelve years later it is still one of the most remarkable musical collaborations I have ever heard (I'm listening to it again, as I write). Jonathan Tunick's arrangements are impeccable, his orchestra plays superbly, the recorded sound is close to perfection, but they really are just the sugar on top of a perfect confection. Sondheim is a genius - few people can argue that - and in Cleo Laine he has found a rare fellow genius who can truly justify his own. The lyrics are at least eighty percent of his appeal and, with her famous "hot potato in mouth" diction Cleo does them more than justice. Has anybody ever noticed that the correct line from "Losing my mind" is "Spend sleepless nights to thing about you" and not "and think about you"? The many "standards" presented here all come off superbly, as do the the lesser-heard numbers, like the excerpts from "Anyone can whistle" (when is this going to be revived?). Superbly subtle, gloriously outrageous, immensely satisfying, this is a collection which should grace any."

Cleo at her finest tackling some of Sondheim's finest

Simon Cross | RUSTINGTON, West Sussex. United Kingdom | 04/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great Cleo Laine album.Recorded in 1988, Cleo took a selection of Stephen Sondheim's work from a number of his shows. The songs date back to 1962's A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, through to a song written for the 1987 London production of Follies. Cleo uses the songs to cover a variety of characters and styles, expressing her versatility in no uncertain terms.Highlights for me: Liaisons; No One Is Alone; The Miller's Son; I'm Still Here - the slower songs basically.My one regret about this collection is that Cleo missed the golden opportunity of recording One More Kiss with her daughter, Jacqueline Dankworth. That's a minor regret though, on a very good album."

A night in theater!

Simon Cross | 08/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What a wonderful idea - matching Dame Cleo with Sondheim and Tunnick! Not surprisingly, actually - Cleo has already quitte experience in theatre (there was a musical written specially for her) but was surprises me is the passion she invest in this album.The well known songs, so wonderfully arranged and orchetsrated are given breath-taking performance by this unbelievable jazz singer and good actress!There is a song ("No one is alone") that later could be heard as a dueth with her daughter on "The very best of".I have a impression that Dame had very good time while recording this!"