Chenoweth's new CD harkens back to Linda

[rick]

A friend of mine told me he had purchased Kristin ("Wicked," "Promises, Promises" on Broadway) Chenoweth's new standards album, "The Art of Elegance."


Here is the Amazon link --

Kristin Chenoweth's "The Art of Elegance"

Here is the blurb --

The Art Of Elegance is the album that Tony & Emmy-winning Kristin Chenoweth was destined to record. Produced by Steve Tyrell (Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross), the singer's/actress' fifth studio album is a radiant compendium of the America Songbook, along with Kristin's favorites. Bathed in Alan Broadbent's luxurious string arrangements, this ticket to elegance features everything from George & Ira Gershwin's 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' 'I've Got a Crush on You' and 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' to Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' to Burt Bacharach & Hal David's 'A House Is Not a Home.'


There are 13 tracks on the CD.

It kicks off with "Someone to Watch Over Me" and then goes into "I've Got a Crush on You."

Other tracks include "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "Skylark," "I'm a Fool to Want You." Also included is "The Very Thought of You," which Linda recorded as a duet on one of Aaron Neville's albums. And then there is "They Can't Take That Away From Me," which Linda performed live with Rosie Clooney on "An Evening at Pops" (I have provided the audio to this numerous times).

I understand that with a "standards" album that Linda has no patent on these songs. But it is interesting to me that so many songs that Linda recorded are included and then there is the added pedigree of both Steve Tyrell and Alan Broadbent (both of whom worked with Linda).

[erik]

While I think she bears somewhat of a resemblance to Miranda Lambert (but that's probably just me who thinks so), Kristin has mentioned Linda more than a few times as being an influence on what she does, and not just in the field of standards. This could well be one of the big reasons she has Tyrell and Broadbent assisting her on the album, because she knew they had worked with Linda. Of course she sounds really nothing like Linda, but we really shouldn't hold that against her (IMHO).

[MokyWI]

Kristen has said herself that this latest album of her's could be seen somewhat of a tribute to Linda as our girl is one of Chenoweth's favorite singers.