Produced by: H Clark Kee  Ostinato CD001

What is stunning about Audrey Lavine is the truly amazing depth and breadth of her vocal talent. A crystal clear voice pierces the silence in the opening track, a clever medley of ‘This is No Dream’ and ‘Out of This World’, that simultaneously emphasises the other-worldly, ethereal quality of Lavine’s pure soprano and exemplifies the more earthy vocal quality she can also summon, so perfectly attuned to the themes of the two songs she has chosen to combine.

The perfect match of delivery and song continue, with a sensuous ‘How Long Has This Been Going On?’, chills indeed running up and down the spine, an urgent ‘Fascinating Rhythm’ and a heartfelt rendition of Leiber and Stoller’s ‘Honey, Can I Put On Your Clothes’. Lavine creates an exquisitely sensual mood and then snaps into fast-paced comedic mode, dexterously negotiating through her own densely-packed and very clever lyrics set to the relentlessly busy ‘Holiday For Strings’.

Another mood change and we’re into the blues. Lavine is as secure in this repertoire as in all the others she assails. This section of the album is no perfunctory stop-off on some whirlwind tour of popular music, but a committed exploration of a neighbourhood populated by the likes of Harold Arlen, Harry Warren and Suzanne Vega. .’The Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ is particularly memorable, Lavine injecting no little amount of gallic angst into the performance.

It will come as no surprise that an album so eclectic in style will cover the work of very diverse musical talents, but it is not always easy for a singer to make the whole thing work in its own right, with coherence and an overall sense of the performer’s own persona. Lavine effortlessly meets the demands of fusing such disparate sources of material as Dolly Parton and George Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Billy Joel; a touching fragility in ‘How Sad No One Waltzes Anymore’ is juxtaposed with a full-throated cry of anguish in ‘I Had Myself a True Love’, comic novelty in ‘Egyptian Ella’ sits comfortably next to bitter-sweet lyricism in ‘She’s Always a Woman’.

Audrey Lavine is set to be a major presence on the cabaret scene and this recording will provide a happy reference point for those lucky enough to have caught her act, as well as a serious inducement to those contemplating hearing her in person. It’s very clear, Lavine is here to stay.