Helen Schneider - Dream a Little Dream (2008) Lossless

Helen Schneider has spread herself out during her career, studying classical piano in her youth; singing blues, rock, and pop; performing in various musicals; and finally turning to standards a few years prior to the making of this CD. There's little doubt that she is a trained singer, as she always hits her notes and enunciates clearly, yet this album leaves little lasting impression, compared to many singers who have covered these well-known works. Approaching these selections from a cabaret viewpoint, Schneider is a bit too breathy on slower ballads like "Dream a Little Dream" and "You Go to My Head," sometimes adding annoying little comments at the end of a line. She proves more appealing in the sparse setting of "In My Solitude," with pianist Frank Chastenier as her sole accompanist. Also adding to the dullness of the CD are the arrangements (by Till Bronner, Christian von Kaphengst, and Christoph Adams), which rarely give the instrumentalists a chance to solo with any feeling. Schneider's fans will probably enjoy this disc, though she is likely to win few new ones with this bland effort.