Belle Linda Halpern and pianist/Musical Director Ron Roy have released a studio recording of their live show, Cravings: Songs of Hunger & Satisfaction, during which they prepared and served edible—as well as audible—delights for audience consumption.

Cravings is an exploration into the human yearnings for love, sex and acceptance, as well as fame and success, evidenced in the eclectic, yet intriguing, selections Halpern is at her best when she is reflective, as in “I’m Not That Girl” (Wicked), where her soft, wistful delivery in her silky head voice glides on Roy’s delicate accompaniment. “Rocking Chair” (Tina deVaron), a contemplative folk song, will put a lump in your throat as she sings of the developing bonds between a mother and her young son.

The CD’s Yiddish material, such as “Roumania, Roumania,” sounds natural in Halpern’s hands, and “Abi Gezunt,” which translates as “As long as you’re healthy,” makes an apt lead-in to John Bucchino’s anthem to good fortune, “Grateful.” It is these subtle, intelligent choices that make Cravings such delicious listening.

On several songs, such as “Everybody Eats When They Come to My House,” “I Want It All” and “My Favorite Things,” the CD’s slightly dampened sound quality hollowed out Roy’s accompaniment and left Halpern’s vocals devoid of arc, making you hunger for the visuals that filled those gaps. But Halpern dishes out some serious sass to Roy’s honky tonk piano on “My Handy Man,” and sizzles to his sultry arrangement of Dave Frishberg’s “Peel Me a Grape.” At this point, the CD is cooking on all burners. And when she delivers Ahrens and Flaherty’s anthem, “I Was Here” (The Glorious Ones), or the astounding R&B ballad, “If I Can Dream,” she is scorching. These two cuts alone will whet your appetite and have you going back for seconds.

John Amodeo
Cabaret Scenes
April 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org