ACCOLADES

"One of the major factors that determines how much we enjoy one singer compared to another is what we might call “likability.” When I go to see The Rolling Stones or even the opera, I’m not particularly interested in having cocktails with Keith Richards. But in terms of the singers whom we want to listen to, we choose the performers the same way that we choose the companion sitting next to us, people whose company we enjoy. This is why I gravitated to Deborah Silver as soon as I heard her live at Jazz at Lincoln Center (and Feinstein’s/54 Below). Yes, the visual factor is there, and so is the voice and the musical chops. (You can just go ahead and check off those boxes, thank you very much.) But even before she was halfway through her first number, I was pulled in by the personality, the charisma — the life force. You could tell instantly that here was a fun gal, someone you would invite to a party, someone you would bring to a dinner, someone who would never fail to entertain and amuse you, regardless of whether she was on a bandstand or at the other end of the table. Obviously, I’m not the only participant who wanted to join the Deborah Silver party. She has attracted such high profile supporters as superstar singer and producer Steve Tyrell, who raised his hand to produce this album; the legendary Jack Jones, who volunteered to duet with Deborah on “I’ve Got a Crush On You” and the brilliant Alan Broadbent, who wrote all of the arrangements. Deborah is a miraculously three-dimensional performer; she hardly ever sings a song the same way. There’s an engaging upbeat quality in everything she sings. The tune that originally grabbed me was her mambo arrangement of “Never on Sunday,” the combination of that classic Greek song and a clave beat is both irreverent and just plain fun. Obviously, there’s a message about finding silver linings behind dark clouds in “Pennies from Heaven” and “The Glory of Love,” yet she’s upbeat and seductive in “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” and “On a Slow Boat to China,” and worldly-wise (but still upbeat) in “I Could Write a Book.” She turns “I Could Have Danced All Night” into an ode to amour and now it’s more romance than dance, whereas “Crush on You,” with our pal Jack as a guest leading man here, is more than ever a slow dance for two. Even so, these observations of mine can only get you so far. If you’ve heard Ms. Silver before, you know how much fun it is to spend time with her — musically, I mean. If she’s new to you, then let me introduce you to your new best friend.” "