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While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming's performances of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro because she's got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles, the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on Haunted Heart, singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes, Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless, her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly, she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura, and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support, and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved.
Track listing:
1. Arthur Schwarz: Haunted Heart
2. Joni Mitchell: River
3. Richard Whiting: When Did You Leave Heaven?
4. Bill Carey / Carl Fisher: You've Changed
5. Fred Rauch: Answer Me (My Love)
6. Stevie Wonder: My Cherie Amour
7. Lennon / McCartney: In My Life
8. Jimmy Webb: The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
9. Berg: Excerpts From Wozzeck / Improvisation / The Midnight Sun
10. Mahler: Liebst du um Schönheit
11. My One And Only Love / This Is Always
12. Villa-Lobos: Canção do Amor
13. Paladilhe: Psyché
14. Stephen Foster: Hard Times Come Again No More
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