The birth of a great jazz vocalist
Librarian | Wisconsin, USA | 02/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Though not as polished as her second release, Make Someone Happy, this is an exciting debut for someone who seems destined to become one of the best. If you liked the second, go back and pick up the first while it's still available.
Her voice is perfect and her phrasing and sense of timing are impeccable. You don't need to understand Russian to appreciate Ochi Chernye or French to dig her version of La Vie en Rose. All she needs is a little more life experience and she'll rival Ella and Sarah."
An Utterly Charming And Stunningly Beautiful CD
Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 01/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Her album covers suggest high, jazz-diva glamour - you'd almost want to use an old fashioned word like 'swanky' to describe the Gershwin-era sensibility at work. Her voice has it, too, curling out like a memory of smoke-and-martini-fuelled cocktail parties, though sometimes transforming itself into a claim on all that is blithe and innocent." ~ Toronto Life Magazine, December 2007 ~
"Sophie Milman sings sublimely and she does sultry with impeccable, classy style. ~ Q Magazine ~
This is my very first Sophie Milman CD and most definitely will not be the last! I'm truly impressed with her outstanding vocal flair and style. She has an extensive vocal range and her phrasing is crisp and crystal-clear. She's now among my newest favorite jazz singers whom I call in my jazz vocabulary the second generation jazz divas, next to the original divas -- Ella, Sarah, et al.
Released in 2004, this self-titled debut album of Sophie Milman is utterly charming and stunningly beautiful with an impeccable choice of material that represents some of the greatest composers and lyricists of all-time, from George and Ira Gershwin, Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields to Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
All the tracks are sure winners! Her heartfelt take on my all-time favorite "La Vie En Rose" alone is enough reason to own this elegant CD. Listen closely with your undivided attention as she sings this lovely song in its original setting in French with its enthralling instrumentation especially the striking bridge solo. To make it short, it is simply splendid!
"Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d'amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ca m'fait quelque chose"
She does more than justice to Jobim's "Agua de Beber" with a jazz fusion arrangement but still remains true to its Bossa Nova rhythm. While she's jazzing it up with "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," she slows it down with two meaningful songs, "Guilty" and a classic from George and Ira Gershwin, "The Man I Love" featuring an ear-candy harmonica solo by Guido Basso. Then she does a sparkling rendition of "My Heart Belongs To Daddy," one of my favorites tracks.
The exceptional talents of the musicians involved in this recording cannot be left unnoticed -- Bill King and John Sheard (piano), Alan Hetherington (percussion), Marc Rogers and Artie Roth (bass), Davide DiRenzo (drums), Pat La Barbera (alto sax), Phil Dywer (tenor sax) and Guido Basso (harmonica), among others. I would say that Ms. Milman is a "musician's musician" for she displays a very good rapport with her back-up team, who all show a great interplay amongst them.
Listening to this CD is equivalent to having my favorite dessert -- every song is a sweet delight! So adorn your jazz collection with this elegant and irresistible CD. I will certainly recommend her sophomore CD, Make Someone Happy, which after its initial release hits the # 4 spot in the Billboard Jazz charts.
Have a lovely listening experience!"
