As I listened to Jennifer Sheehan’s You Made Me Love You, I got the impression that her love was more directed to the American Songbook than any mere mortal being. It is rare that one singer has as much going for her as Jennifer displays on this new disc. Her classical training does not get in the way of subtlety and nuance—perhaps it even supports these qualities as her pitch seems perfect and she never pushes her soprano. All this was evident from the opening, “All the Things You Are,” to the finale, “Love Is Here to Stay.” On “In the Still of the Night,” with a gently swaying Latin feel, she uses vocalese with the skill of a jazz singer. Her breath control and shapely phrasing ares especially evident all through “I’ll Be Seeing You,” one of the many songs where she includes the verse.

Sheehan’s celebration is filled with old faves, such as “How Long Has This Been Going On?” and “What’ll I Do?,” and somewhat more contemporary tunes as exampled by the Manilow/ Mercer “When October Goes.” The Diane Bulgarelli/Bruce Roberts retro-exotic “Do You Miss Me” has some quick tempo changes and an ironic “I told you so” type of humor that is sung with flexibility and surety.

My preference would have been to have Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World”(Evening Primrose) as a standalone piece rather than paired with Rodgers and Sondheim’s “Take the Moment.” The latter is not strong enough to counter the brilliance of the former.
“I Can’t Be New” actually is new to me, with music by Susan Werner and snappy lyrics by Werner and Jane Paul:

I’ll be the release when the pressure is heightening
I can be the grease when your wheels are tightening
This song is filled with this type of witty metaphor.

All in all, Sheehan’s work is entertaining and even educational, albeit a tad lightweight. She needs to infuse her work with more drama and emotion.

James Followell’s pianism is unique and sensitive, his light touch serving the unusually creative, yet melodic, arrangements. The violin of Antoine Silverman, the percussion of Dan Gross and the bass of Jered Egan add to the depth and polish of the band

Melody Breyer-Grell
Cabaret Scenes
January/February 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org