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It takes a lot of courage for a vocalist to record an album of all ballads, no other song form puts a vocalist’s skills on the line like a slow moving test of one’s ability to not only develop a melodic line, but to do so with a convincing emotional tone. On “My Heart’s in the Wind”, Deborah Shulman doesn’t shy away from this challenge and delivers a successful collection of mostly quiet and introspective vocal reflections. Only two numbers on here hit any kind of toe-tapping tempo, all the rest are delivered in a vocalist-centered legato rubato with an intuitive laid back combo backing every word. Shulman’s main accompanists on here are Larry Koonse on guitar and Terry Trotter on piano, both of whom support her with imagination and sensitivity. The way the two instrumentalists interact with each other is joyfully loose and even somewhat cluttered in a good way. Its nice the two are not overly polite and sterile in their interactions. Both musicians also deliver a couple of clever solos as well.
Much of Shulman’s emotional conviction comes across in these songs because she hand picked each one as a personal reflection of not only her own life, but also the lives and love of her departed parents. Tracks such as “Loving You” and “You are There” are tributes to her parent’s relationship and the memories of Shulman’s family life. The non-pretentious tone of this album is furthered by the fact that every track was recorded live without a trace of studio trickery. Summit Records in general should be praised for their ongoing commitment to production values that put an artist’s personal skills over studio gimmicks.
The material covered on here is well considered and devoid of anything overplayed. The 'Great American Songbook', Broadway and movies are all sources for Schulman's selections, with a few surprises included, such as "This Hotel", from the film, "Hotel". Top track may be the infectious "Sleepin Bee". This is a great vocal album that sets a mood for those long winter nights that surround us during this time of year.