....Audrey Silver, at her best, with more songs to move the heart when it needs a little help.
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i could not believe, after listening to audrey's 2nd recording, how she kept under my radar for so long. everything on dream awhile should be considered for a grammy.
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In this day of auto tune and infectious-yet-shallow pop hooks, it is a refreshing change to listen to a voice that simply excels at singing.  Audrey Silver is one of those voices, and it is the sultry tones of her voice that makes her latest album, Dream Awhile, a well-crafted musical offering.  

The greatest strength of this album is in the vocal production.  Silver’s pacing, interesting use of dynamics, and her ability to stir emotion takes the listener on a musical journey through the golden age of jazz and big band swing.   

Any rendering of timeless jazz standards such as those sung by Silver on Dream Awhile run the risk of being an unoriginal reproduction of a multitude of recordings that have already been done.  Silver, however, has found a unique way to present these classics through her rhythmic improvisation and distinctive musical timing while adding to the mix unexpected arrangements, most of which work well highlighting Silver and the band.  

Silver is best when she’s swinging songs like, “I Will Wait For You”, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “Exactly Like You”.  These are three of the strongest songs on the album demonstrating a fun playfulness and an intense musical joy.  Artists can be defined on their ability to transfer the live experience to a recorded project, and when Silver begins to scat, which is a skill not easily mastered, the strength of her vocal technique and the loveliness of her voice portray a gifted artist whom one would want to see on stage.

Even so, there are tracks that fall short of the high standard Silver has set for herself.  “Falling In Love With Love” suffers from an uneven arrangement, the introduction is much to slow and the bass distracts from Silver’s lead vocals.  When the tempo increases to a full groove and the entire band begins to play, Silver once again shines and gives her listeners the power-packed excitement that jazz can be.  Silver’s interpretation of “Too Marvelous For Words” lacks the emotional depth and is flat when compared to the passion exhibited on other tracks such as “That’s All” and “Day Dream”.  

“That’s All” is the true gem of this album.  Heartfelt and vulnerable, Silver offers an emotional rendition that is gentle and easy.  The arrangement is tight and musically subdued so that the listener can focus on Silver’s simple and straight forward rendition.  She sings with such honesty and clarity that the song easily becomes a favorite.    

Closing out the album with “I Could Write A Book”, Silver once again showcases her stunning vocals.  The simple piano accompaniment and uncomplicated arrangement combined with Silver’s high vocal energy closes the project on a high note.  The barebones instrumentation on this track affirms once again that Audrey Silver is the star of this project.

Dream Awhile makes a definite statement: Audrey Silver is a versatile song stylist and Dream Awhile is a notable effort. 

Review by Naima Johnston
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Audrey Silver does not fail to delight with Dream Awhile.  An already established jazz vocalist in the New York club scene, Silver continues to hone her craft with a more mature, finely polished follow-up to last year’s fantastic Here In My Arms.  Once again thronged by an outstanding ensemble of musicians, Silver’s talents are exquisitely showcased as she excels in her vocal delivery, song selections, arrangements and production.

Silver has a fabulous knack for engaging the listener with her singing, as is evident in her arrangement of the Hart & Rodgers tune “Falling in Love with Love.”  Though the song opens starkly with the bass and vocals, Silver maintains such confident control of the melody that one can almost see her head bobbing and hips swaying as the tempo hastens with the entrance of the piano and drums.  Her remarkable ability to sing independently of the other instruments is phenomenal and sounds completely natural as she scats around the piano.  The larger degree of scatting on Dream Awhile may evoke a contemporary comparison to a more tender and engaging Jane Monheit.

Evidently Silver is thoroughly enjoying herself on this album and one can almost “hear” her smiling as she sings, yet there is a retained air of sophistication.  There are no sharp edges in Silver’s music, but rather a warm easiness that invites the listener in and stay awhile.  
The principle arranger for Dream Awhile is pianist Joe Barbato, who gives the keys a bell-like tone as he expertly adds inflections throughout the album, never robbing Silver of the limelight but rather gently elevating her.  The two open the well-known ballad “That’s All” with Silver beautifully singing the soaring melody as Barbato does little to accompany her, but rather adds excellent texture with his ivory nuances.  Silver skillfully carries through to the end of her phrases and seamlessly changes vowel sounds.  After bassist Joe Fitzgerald delivers the bridge solo Silver enters again with conviction through to the coda as she slightly strays from the melody but finishes with flourish with her fantastic fellow musicians.

Barbato’s arrangement of “Too Marvelous for Words” is not as grand.  It is still extremely well-executed but the juxtaposition of the piano and vocals in closely related keys in a minor mode sounds strange with the uplifting lyrics, “You’re too marvelous for words like glorious and glamorous and amorous.”  Regardless, all of the standards on Dream Awhile are given new life with new interpretations, which is one of the many awesome attributes Silver and her ensemble bring to the jazz realm.  Silver shares arranging credits on “Day Dream” and with the addition of guitarist Chris Bergson in a rubato tempo makes this piece a highlight of the album.  Just like in Debussy’s La Mer, there is a rich overlaying of the instruments (including voice) as they gently swirl around each other playing unique musical thoughts, yet all contributing to a pleasurable aural sensation.

It is a wonderful privilege to be able to follow an artist as she travels along her musical journey.  Thankfully a musician as fine as Silver seems to know where she wants to go and continues to get better with each passing year without fail.  Dream Awhile is another gemstone and a truly remarkable effort.
Review by Kelly O’Neil
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