The Best Is Yet To Come - The Songs Of Cy Coleman

TheBest Is Yet To Come - The Songs Of Cy Coleman

2009,New West Records

Cy Coleman, née Seymour Kaufmanfound success in the classical and jazz worlds before finding his true calling- Broadway. He didn't let being late to the game stop him from having a stellarcareer, however, garnering 5 Tony Awards, 3 Emmy Awards and 2 Grammys beforehis untimely death in 2004. Coleman gave birth to the scores and songs of suchshows as Sweet Charity, City Of Angels, The Life, The Will Rogers Follies,and Barnum. In the process, Coleman, created songs and shows that continuesto have an impact on Broadway even today. It's not surprising, then, thatColeman would be honored with a compilation such as The Best Is Yet To Come- The Songs Of Cy Coleman.

The voices here might surprise you.Artists as diverse as Patty Griffin, Madeleine Peyroux, Sam Phillips, FionaApple, Nikka Costa and Jill Sobule offer up their talents in a stunning,stealthy collection that will take you by surprise. Griffin surprises with awonderful sultry and soulful take on "The Best Is Yet To Come", whileFiona Apple lights up the night with "Why Try To Change Me Now" and"I Walk A Little Faster", showing off an impressive upper range inthe latter that you might not suspect from her more alt-pop oriented originals.Madeleine Peyroux and Sam Phillips turn in solid outings on "I Live MyLife" and "You Fascinate Me So", respectively, and Nikka Costais a pleasant surprise on "The Rules Of The Road".

The true gems here, however, are theones you don't see coming. Julianna Raye brings an amazingly earthy and tonallybuoyant voice to "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life", whileSarabeth Tucek hits all the right notes on "Where Am I Going?” Even JillSobule shows a surprising versatility on "I've Got Your Number". Thehighlight of the disc, however, is the closing performance of "(I'm) InLove Again" by Missy Higgins.

Cy Coleman left an indelible mark onAmerican Musical Theater. The songs presented on The Best Is Yet To Come -The Songs Of Cy Coleman, are the proof in the pudding. This is perhaps oneof the most inspired composer collections to emanate from Broadway in sometime.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Cy Coleman at Notable Music.

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Aoede - Affair With The Muse

Aoede - Affair With The Muse
2011, Aoede Muse Music

Dermatomyositis is a rare connective-tissue disease that weakens the immune system, muscles and skin.  When this disease struck Lisa Sniderman, AKA Aoede, in 2008, it came from out of the blue.  Aoede was still basking in the recognition generated by her debut album, Push And Pull, which won Aoede recognition for Top Artist of the Year and Top Album of the Decade from WomenRadio.com.  In September of 2010, Sniderman's condition worsened, requiring a 24-day hospital stay and intensive treatment and therapy.  Aoede made music a part of the therapeutic process, and the result is a new seven-track album entitled Affair With The Muse.

Aoede opens with "Fairy Tale Love", a 1950's pop vocal number dressed up in modern folk/pop clothing.  Party Disney and part dysfunctional romance movie, "Fairy Tale Love" explores wanting that perfect love story.  Aoede's sweetly anachronistic voice dances with the melody line to create a sweet opening moment.  "Does Your Heart Ever Stop Feeling" starts with an 'oom-pah' beat, much like a parade march.  Aoede will remind listeners of Kate Bush and Tori Amos here, with an intriguing vocal line that makes up in character what it occasionally loses in pure tone.  "Crave Me" speaks from the midst of a comfortable relationship, asking to be placed ahead of the day-to-day considerations of the world, even if for a little while.  This heartfelt number is honest and real, written from the heart of someone who just wants to be seen as she once was.  Off to a great start, the album slows down somewhat from there. "If You Already Know" has a bit of a cabaret feel, but is otherwise somewhat bland.  Aoede creates an interesting characterization of love in "Love Proof", but "Fall On Your Deaf Ears" is a bit too close to cliché in trying to save a relationship tilting into the wind.  Aoede closes strong with "What You Got".  Part pep talk and part motivational aid (i.e. kick in the rear), the song is entertaining and impassioned and full of heart.

Just like people, sometimes music soars and sometimes it survives.  Aoede does a bit of both here, which is incredibly fitting given the circumstances under which Affair With The Muse was born.  Aoede's quirky folk/pop sensibilities mix with both light and dark on her latest album, sometimes throwing up glorious sparks of song, while at others simply documenting the passage of time and the survival of creation; of life itself.  While Affair With The Muse may not stand as Aoede's best work in time, it might be her most compelling.  You can't help but think, listening to Aoede's occasional brushes with magic, that there's an album in her down the road that's going to blow a lot of people away.  Affair With The Muse isn't that album, but it's the first step on the path there.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Aoede at www.aoedemuse.com.  To learn more about Dermatomyositis, please visit www.myositis.org.  Affair With The Muse is available digitally from Amazon.com and iTunes.