Though Marcelle Gauvin lives and works in southern Massachusetts, her saucy style suggests two of New York’s finest-blending the authoritative pizzazz of Ann Hampton Callaway with the polished panache of Bernadette Peters. Gauvin’s latest, The Edge of the Pond (Whaling City Sound), is a testament to unerring good taste and finely honed musical instincts. Opening with a sparkling rendition of Frank Loesser’s “I Believe in You,” she immediately eases into “Saturday,” a lovely, languid ballad that sets the pace for what is, for the most part, a gentle, reflective album. On back-to-back versions of “Limao” and Tom Jobim’s “Double Rainbow,” Gauvin exhibits a keen Brazilian sensibility. She then shifts gears for an insightful interpretation of “Fixing a Hole” that expertly explores Lennon and McCartney’s playful message of self-empowerment. Closing with a slightly subdued “Doodlin'” she manages the tricky curves with style and flair. It’s not quite as zany as Annie Ross’ or as nutty as Joni Mitchell’s, but nicely neurotic nonetheless.
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