DIANE SCHUUR
Midnight (Concord)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Midnight finds Diane Schuur hewing close to the pop side of her talents, but since she's one of the most talented pop singers to emerge from the jazz scene, that's generally a good thing. This time out, she's performing a set of songs co-written by Barry Manilow, who worked with a variety of collaborators to assemble this material, including a pair of tunes with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The most frequent co-writer is guitarist Eddie Arkin, who co-produced the album with Manilow.

Schuur gets some capable help with the vocals, too, including duets with Karrin Allyson, Brian McKnight and, on the closing track, Manilow. She even sits down at the piano on "Life Is Good," an otherwise unaccompanied performance.

Several tracks here have all the earmarks of instant standards, and Deedles is in fine voice, making this a satisfying set of pop music for listeners with mature tastes.

Track List:

Meet Me, Midnight * When October Goes * Stay Away From Bill * I'll Be There * Consider The Point From Both Ends * What Is Love? * He Loved Me * Southwind * Our Love Will Always Be There * No Heartache Tonight * Goodbye My Love * Life Is Good * Anytime

© 2003 - Shaun Dale