Karen Gallinger - My Foolish Heart (1998)

With a voice and a style reminiscent of Dionne Warwick, if Warwick had become a jazz singer instead of going down the pop and rock road. The similarity to Warwick's vocal qualities comes through on "Isn't It Romantic," "Gentle Rain" and "Someone to Light up My Life."

This similarity notwithstanding, Gallinger's second album showcases all of her jazz singing skills and she brings a full payload of these skills to this session. On "Emily" she swoops (a la Sarah Vaughan), using a medium vibrato and moving between octaves with ease. "Emily" is followed by a light, scatting rendition of "Just Friends" with Jeff Jorgenson's providing the main instrumental support.. "The Way You Look Tonight" shows off Gallinger's poignant side as she moves through the Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields classic with only Tom Zink's piano accompaniment.

Contemporary pop is represented with "Remember Who You Are" and "Someone Like You" with the requisite rock beat from Zink's programmed synthesizers. On "Lowdown Dirty Doggin' Blues," Gallinger shows she is not only a talented composer, but a more than adequate blues singer as well. Only one complaint, and that's the use of the synthesizer, which is little more than a computer, to create strings, an organ and other instruments giving an artificial feel to some of the cuts. Computer generated music notwithstanding, Karen Gallinger is a performer who possesses ample poise, confidence and maturity. No amateur night stuff here.
~Dave Nathan.

Personnel: Karen Gallinger (vocals); Jeff Jorgenson, Gary Gould (saxophone); Tom Zink (keyboards, programming); Herb Jimmerson (synthesizers, programming); Gannin Arnold, Bob Moore (guitar); Anders Swanson (bass); Dave Derge (drums); Chris Wabich, Angel Rodriguez (percussion); Denise, The Waters (background vocals).