Spotlight CD Review
Rondi Charleston - Love Letters
The mood is predominantly very slow and romantic. Charleston has the ability to sustain long phrases and to build a to a thrilling climax, and this she does in several songs, creating a full-bodied sound that sweeps the listener up in the drama of the songs. The choice is of largely very familiar material: The Very Thought of You, It Had to be You and Time after Time, for example, but the tempo is often very much slower than one might expect and some very fine Chris Marlowe arrangements, together with some beautifully moody instrumental backing, enhance the lush velvet that envelopes the listener.
Track after track allows one to luxuriate in Charleston’s smokey vocals, though every now and then she soars to top notes that scintillate against the darker backcloth she paints. At times too, there are discernible echoes of other great singers; a touch of Minelli here and there, whilst parts of her take on ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ bring Streisand to mind. Only two things grate slightly in what is otherwise a superlative collection: ‘Please, Mr Postman’ does not sit well in this company, despite being thematically appropriate, whilst ‘On a Slow Boat to China’ unfortunately loses a little something in the phrasing as the sound rather than the meaning of the song is explored. Those apart, this is a rich, sonorous album that delivers gorgeous songs sung fabulously well.