Karen Souza is what we used to call a “CHANTUUUUZEEE.” A modern day Julie London, she uses this disc to essentially create a mood to be wooed. Her voice dynamics range between a seductive whisper and a seductively breathy hush. Writing a healthy amount of material here, she uses her vocals with a delicate mix of strings and subdued horns on poppish bossa novas like “Paris” and Night Demon” while Jobim’s “Dindi” is expressed more in mood than with feeling. A light and bouncy “Delectable You” includes Larry Koonse’s guitar delicately stroking Souza’s lyrics, while a bluesy take of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” has film nourish strings and horns. She holds a torch with pianist Tom Ranier on “Break My Heart” showing that she is capable of having a few regrets, but then again, too few to mention. Definitely a not a disc for the jazz party of the week, even the cover seems more likely for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition or a singles web site than a music site.
www.karensouza.com