From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies
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Description
Singer Susannah McCorkle has made a reputation for herself as a premier cabaret-style interpreter of American popular songs. And From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies proves once again that her rep is no fluke. McCorkle's gift for creative interpretations of classic material is evident right from the exuberant high note of "Laughing at Life," the CD-opening tribute to Billie Holiday. McCorkle's versatility is on display throughout the album's 14 tracks, from a beautiful rendition of Billy Strayhorn's anguished "Something to Live For" to an appropriately laid-back tribute to Chet Baker, "Look for the Silver Lining," and Bessie Smith's bluesy "I Ain't Gonna Play No Second Fiddle." The highlight of the set, though, is McCorkle's delicate version of Django Reinhardt's "Nuages," where she sings in French and English paired only with Al Gafa's lovely guitar. Sparse and impressionistic, the moment is at once reverent toward the original version and unafraid to add something of its own, much like the rest of From Broken Hearts to Blue Skies. --Ezra Gale
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