Carol Sloane: Whisper Sweet

On Whisper Sweet, Carol Sloane lends that full, round, delightfully robust tone of hers to eleven different shades of romantic reflection. Working in much the same setting as Mark Murphy on Memories of You (Norman Simmons, Paul Bollenback and Grady Tate are all here, with Darryl Hall replaced by Paul West), she demonstrates remarkable range, making the most of what she’s got as she swings softly through “The Lady’s in Love With You” and serves up a peppery “Where or When.” Her “Memories of You,” stunningly enhanced by a Houston Person tenor solo, seems a little more contented than Murphy’s and there’s a cunning whisper of sinful self-satisfaction in both “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” and her luxurious, seven-minute “The Night We Called It a Day.” Nowhere on the album is there the tiniest hint of sourness or regret. Instead, it is filled with a joyous vivacity that’s mighty refreshing to hear. When Sloane sings “It’s Easy to Remember” you know she’s recalling a bountiful life well lived.

Originally Published December 1, 2003