LAURA OSNES - IF I TELL YOU - Songs of Maury Yeston is drawn from Laura’s sold-out performances at 54 Below in November of 2012, and includes a generous selection of Yeston’s musical theatre songs, including several handpicked for this album and receiving their first recording here.
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Most noteworthy on this album is her ravishing performance of December Songs accompanied by a brilliant ensemble. (continued...)
“Osnes and Yeston are a pair well met. The entire CD is good enough to prevent me from citing separate tracks…I am pleased that Osnes has seen fit to sing one of my favorite Yeston songs (the superb “New Words”). The heart of “If I Tell You” (10 of 17 tracks) consists of Yeston’s song cycle “December Songs”. With Osnes the cycle is compelling, dramatic, comic, and altogether engaging. So, in addition to giving us a fine collection of the songs of Maury Yeston…Osnes adds it to my favored Yeston shelf.” Steven Suskin, On The Record
“Tony nominee Laura Osnes, one of musical theater’s brightest new lights, has already shown her fondness for Rodgers & Hammerstein (she’s already done South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Pipe Dream and Cinderella, which is now on Broadway), and this entrancing disc of 17 songs by Maury Yeston—best known for his musical Nine—shows that that she can also make other composers’ work her own. Osnes’ bright, high soprano is beautifully showcased throughout: and when she shows off her technical prowess on the stunningly long note held at the end of the delightful “Shimmy Like They Do in Paree/I Want to Go to Hollywood,” it’s not the self-satisfied over-singing of today’s pop divas but a perfect-sounding expression of unbridled joy. “ Kevin Fitipski – Flipsidereviews
