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Anne Kerry Ford is
both an actress and a cabaret singer. The two specialties work well together,
as the bread and butter of a cabaret singer is to convey to the listener
the emotions and meaning of the lyrics she's singing. As an actress, she
must be convincing in creating the character she is playing. To demonstrate
her facility in cabaret, Ford has selected tunes from two composers who
were very successful writing both for the stage and screen, Oscar Hammerstein
II and Stephen Sondheim. Even though they are from different eras, the
continued popularity of their songs proves once again that good music
is ageless. Three of the cuts are from live performances, the others were
done in the studio. On "The Miller's Son," from one of Sondheim's
many Broadway hits, "A Little Night Music", Ford is very dramatic
and intense. In contrast, her soprano, clear as a mountain lake, sprouts
wings on "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning." One of the more lovely
pieces on the CD is the medley from one of the more fruitful of the Hammerstein/Richard
Rodgers harvest of musical collaborations, "Carousel". The presence
of Gianna Abondolo's cello helps to create the correct mood. The gold
star for accompaniment, however, goes to pianist John Boswell. In cabaret,
the piano player cannot simply comp or insert well-placed chords. He or
she must match the vocal posture the singer is taking with each tune,
running the emotional gamut from strong intensity to gentle romanticism.
Boswell does it with verve and élan. Also on the session is blues/fusion
guitarist Robben Ford, who is also Anne Kerry Ford's husband. Ford carries
on the great cabaret tradition established by the likes of Mabel Mercer,
Elisabeth Welch, and others. |