One track at a time, One Dream at a Time is growing on me, and time with Marlene VerPlanck is well spent. I say “growing on me” not because her talents are new to my ears or record shelf (quite the opposite), but because the subtle aspects of this CD come out more on repeat listens. The opener, “Haven’t We Met?,” met with some initial resistance from me with its usual tempo switched and the unwelcome (to me) jazz organ. On the first rounds of listening, the well-rounded singing and bright tone always shown, shone, but almost blindingly outshine other fine aspects. Push “Repeat Play.” Some gentle, unfamiliar selections don’t knock one’s socks off right away, but tug at them gently; I was, eventually, barefoot.

As a vocalist, her straight-to-the-song’s point and pointing up delicious rhymes instead of pointing, “Look at me!,” make her decidedly non-diva. Mellifulously musical, mostly merry, Marlene’s mega-reliable when it comes to crisp diction, all the while coming off as just the nicest person you could meet. Nice and precise and crisp: ah, she must eat Nice Krispies for breakfast. In a snap, the crack musicians are at her side every moment, whether she’s scatting or batting around oldies like a medley of “The Carioca” and “Rio” with her trio. Ever-impressive right-touch pianist Tedd Firth—present on this and six more of the 15 tracks—goes to town on jazzy swingers or goes to the heart on ballads.

Partner in life and music, J. Billy VerPlanck, may be gone, but he’s represented by some classy arrangements and three graceful melodies the lady gets to here. They include the setting of Leon Nock’s pensive mature lyric about looking back wistfully and looking ahead with a determination steadily growing, ending the CD with an ultimately serene Marlene.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
October 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org