Search - Leonard Bernstein, Harolyn Blackwell :: Simple Song

The crisply original, imaginative, and noteworthy arrangements by Danny Troob highlight this recording. Harolyn Blackwell's sweet, lilting soubrette is pleasant enough, but the forced covered sound through the middle voice causes unusual pronunciations and inconsistent tone. Selections include "A Simple Song" (pretty, but lacks lyrical intent); "A Little Bit in Love" (cool and jazzy accentuating her lack of style); "I Hate Music" (no playfulness, no sense of the child); and "Glitter and Be Gay" (rigid and humorless). She phrases well and unaffectedly in the forgotten songs from Peter Pan, and her West Side Story excerpts with Vanessa Williams are fun. Blackwell can't keep a consistent accent--and when she sings "Oy Have a Love," you may think you've accidentally fallen into "Fiddler on the Roof." --Barbara Eisner Bayer