Audrey Silver: Dream Awhile

eviews touting a singer's perfect diction are reminiscent of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (or the Lerner and Lowe 1956 musical and 1964 movie, My Fair Lady), and the plight of Eliza Doolittle to straighten out her coarse Cockney into the Queen's speech). Diction has been a driving force in describing singer Audrey Silver's sophomore recording Dream Awhile. The issue is not that Silver has perfect diction (she has) but why it is so perfect.

Silver's first recording, Here in My Arms (Self Produced, 2004) was a prelude to the current offering in that Silver chose recital pieces less travelled. Certainly, all of her music is from the Great American Song Book, but it is chosen carefully, with the more tired pieces avoided. It was immediately evident that Silver's silvery alto is as perfect at the edges as it is in the middle, a phenomenon of uniform density throughout. It is this basic characteristic that allows Silver to sing what she wants and how she wants, while entertaining all at the same time.

Dream Awhile finds Silver again employing a smaller band (a rhythm section-based quintet) that provides perfect support, competent soloing, and plush cushion to Silver's sturdy, take-no-prisoner's voice. Her commanding stroll through "The Song is Ended," "In The Wee Small Hours" and "Too Marvelous for Words" shows Silver confident and sexy, well-supported by pianist Joe "Sonny" Barbato, who had the lion's share of the arranging duties. The result is an excellent vocal outing, one that shows how jazz singing is to be done.

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