If honesty with a lyric counts for anything, Stacy Sullivan is a winner. Like singers we’ve all known and loved, she not only captures that special honesty in her delivery but meshes it with a bountiful dose of heart. Just when one might think Cole Porter’s “So in Love” has been given every possible treatment by every singer from Doris Day to k.d. lang, Sullivan’s imaginative accounting of this gem, sung with mostly a guitar accompaniment, offers a simpler but most infectious version that should get a lot of repeat plays by anyone with good taste. On her most mature album to date, she delves deep into lyrics with some delicious arrangements that stretch her as an artist. “Two for the Road” is given a warm, reflective reading that is a serious standout.

Other highlights include two great cuts about children: Maury Yeston’s “New Words” and “In My Arms” (Arbuckle-Bose-Bronleewe) that are about as beautiful as it gets. “Another Tuesday” by Tom Andersen and Tim Di Pasqua is given a memorable treatment with a driving beat underscoring the poignant message in this trenchant song about adoption. A sentimental standout is the late, legendary composer Lew Spence’s “It’s a Small Town,” as is “My Little World” by Elizabeth Sullivan which is a beauty. This one’s a keeper.

John Hoglund
Cabaret Scenes
March 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org