Andrea Marcovicci
Those enamored of this actress turned cabaret singer speak of her beauty, expressiveness and grace, and her idiosyncratic delivery, including her fondness for reading from Dorothy Parker and Edna St. Vincent Millay between songs. Others, not so enamored, point to uncertainties of pitch, maladroit phrasing, an arch winsome-ness and the distressing fact that Marcovicci, who has a folksinger's voice with a strong vibrato, sees herself as the star and the songs as handmaidens.
Her song selections and her passion are indisputable, but on this disc de-voted to Jerome Kern, the mannerisms sink the enterprise. Particularly irritating is "Remind Me," an enchanting song Marcovicci does in sing-song to a cha-cha beat. The saving grace is a sweet take of "Look for the Silver Lining" sung with her mother, who performed under the name Helen Stuart in New York City cabarets in the '40s. But it's too little, too late. (Elba)
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