In her liner notes, Siegel describes her search for material: "Having never turned to Broadway musical theater as a source of material for a jazz singer, I was overwhelmed by the choices. Artful music, lushly-created lyrics, complex and layered stories lay before me, intensely satisfying to my musical palate... I was looking for songs that would stand independently of their dramatic context, while at the same time tell rich stories of their own." The resulting collaboration, merging the ideas of Siegel and Goldstein, is indeed simultaneously artful, lush, and complex. The accompaniment of such fine musicians as Goldstein (keyboards), John Patitucci (bass), Antonio Sanchez (drums), Stefon Harris (vibes), and particularly the guitars of Romero Lubambo add significant atmospheric elements, frequently adding the spice of Brazil to Broadway.

Starting off with a brash "Show Me" (My Fair Lady, Lerner & Lowe), the recording moves on to an airy flamenco-flavored arrangement of "Sorry-Grateful" from Sondheim's Company. "It's a Woman's Prerogative" (St. Louis Woman, Arlen & Mandel) features Goldstein's zydeco-tinged backdrop, which Siegel notes morphed into a "Bitches Brew"- like romp during the recording session. "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" from Sondheim's Follies provides a playground for Siegel's facility with quirky and quickly articulated lyrics ("reminiscent of vocalese," she says), as well as wonderful interplay between Goldstein and Lubambo. On "Born Too Late" (Little Revue, Vernon Duke & Ogden Nash), a softly Brazilian vibe (a "slow samba cancao" according to Siegel) features Patitucci on six-string bass, hinting Joabim. Stefon Harris' vibes dreamily support the sequenced arrangement of two Rogers and Hammerstein vehicles, "Out of My Dreams" (Oklahoma) and "I Have Dreamed" (King and I). Noting that the band plays up "the modern chordal structure of Mr. Berlin," Siegel gets a surreal reading of "I've Got the Sun in the Morning and the Moon at Night" (Annie Get Your Gun), enhanced by electronic distortions from guitar and Fender Rhodes and celestial accents from the vibes. In the most creative arrangement of the set, "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" (Oklahoma) is delightfully meshed with snippets from Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," the only non-Broadway tune on the recording. "It Never Was You" (Knickerbocker Holiday, Weill & Anderson) oozes tropical breeziness from guitar and bass, while "My Best Beau" (Mame, Jerry Herman) also has a bit of samba overtones, livened by Goldstein's accordion. The closing "Make Someone Happy" (Do Re Mi, Styne, Comden & Green) has a mystical aura accented by vibes and piano. Throughout, Siegel's tone and color are in perfect harmony with the attitude and sonic context of each arrangement, and even if you have heard the song many times before, her phrasings, her improvised bends and breaks drape the familiar in novel fabric.

Commenting on Janis Siegel's "elastic contralto," Stefano Nuzzo (Songbirds website) notes that she "succeeds in the delicate and difficult balance between showcasing the inherent beauty of many wonderful songs while letting her personality add some new and refreshing touches... " Given the wide range of her repertoire, audiences on her fall tour can expect not only highlights from her newest recording, but many other delights showcasing the songs as well as the personality. Her touring band is a New York jazz trio, featuring pianist Alan Pasqua, bassist Darek Oles, and drummer Steve Hass.

"I think people will always respond to emotion and to great songs sung well," she says. "And I think the vocalists in particular will always be in demand. There's nothing that approximates the human voice. In the end, when you come down to it, people want to feel something." --Janis Siegel

Janis Siegel performs in St. Louis September 22-25, and in Minneapolis September 26-27 (www.dakotacooks.com). Following an October tour of Japan, the Manhattan Transfer return to the U.S., including a November 20^th performance at Minnesota Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis (www.minnesotaorchestra.org), holiday concerts on December 14^th at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA (www.keswicktheater.com), and December 16-19 at the Blue Note in New York City (http://bluenote.net). More information about Janis Siegel is available at: www.tmtfanclub.com/janis.html