Sumi Jo - Only Love
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Free Music Notes for Sumi Jo - Only Love
Free Music Review: Bleah!
Hit: 2 Stars
I like Sumi Jo. The music is drek. Sondheim! Before I knew how Clowns fit into the plot I thought it was mildly enigmatic and heartbreaking (sniff). Now that I do know, I think it's a maudlin, bad attempt to conform to the plot of the show. Mind is just stupid, and the tune is pallid. ("Or were you just being kind..."?????) So much for Sondheim. He'll be forgotten soon enough. He's hardly a household word now. The rest of the songs have that peculiar, unpleasant modern sound that so many new Bway songs have. Kind of weird. It's "in". Monkey see, monkey do. I'm glad I bought it used and only wasted $5 + shipping on it. If you like this kind of tuneless, affected music, go for it. She's wonderful. She doesn't sound like an opera singer at all. Though she is a wonderful one. The arrangement of the Styne is slow and soothing, not that jouncy bouncy upbeat thing, the way it was written. I don't like either version, but if I were forced to be subjected to one, I'd take the slow one. I'm very disappointed. I should have expected as much from 2 Sondheims and that Styne. I wish she'd sung a better selection of songs. Free Music Review: Sumi sings Broadway
Hit: 4 Stars
Coloratura soprano Sumi Jo's album "Only Love" again demonstrates why she is undoubtedly one of the greatest voices of recent times. On this album, Sumi Jo concentrates her talents on songs from the musical theatre world. Many opera singers do have trouble adapting and manipulating their precision-trained voices into another style, but Sumi Jo sings in a fresh, appealing way that makes these songs come alive, almost like they were written yesterday.
The crown jewels of the album are "Unusual Way" (from Maury Yeston's NINE), and the title track, "Only Love" (one of the more distinguishable ballads from Frank Wildhorn's otherwise-dreadful SCARLET PIMPERNEL score). Sumi effortlessly transforms herself into a Broadway diva on this album; instantly she's at home with the material. I heartily recommend this surprising about-face from opera singer Sumi Jo.
[Erato/Warner Music 8573802412]
Free Music Review: Much Better than I Expected
Hit: 4 Stars
Let me start off by saying that I adore opera and I adore musical theater. That said, I can think of very few opera singers who I like singing showtunes. Actually Dawn Upshaw is the one who readily comes to mind... Somehow the greatest opera singers, people like Renee Fleming and Kiri Te Kinawa have trouble "toning it down" enough to successfully sing a musical repetoire. Sumi Jo is an exception. Her voice is light enough to sing these pieces with a nice tone and a sense of ease. We know her extraordinary operatic ability from her previous work, but she wisely doesn't feel the need to prove it to us on these songs.
Given my high opinions of Sumi Jo, you might be wondering why I didn't give this album 5 stars. That's because I think she could have chosen better songs. I commend her for going with contemporary composers as opposed to the usual repetoir of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe, Jules Styne, with a bit of Bernstein and Sondheim thrown in for flavor. However comtemporary musical theater has exciting new voices from the likes of Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, and Michael LaCuisa. Or, she could have gone with some Boubil and Schoenberg with some of Andrew Llyod Webber's better tunes thrown in. Instead, she went for a lot of Wildhorn. Thankfully she chose to embrace The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll and Hyde- two of Wildhorn's best shows as opposed to total schlock. But songs like "In His Eyes" (a duet with herself) and "Only Love" aren't intersting. Her only nod to Boubil is "I Still Believe" from Miss Saigon (another duet). Duets usuallywork with two contrasting voices and viewpoints (especially duets like these- sung by two characters in love with the same man). Singing with yourself doesn't really create any tension o0r real interest. Sumi Jo is best on tracks like "Send In the Clowns" (A Little Might Music), "Losing My Mind" ("Follies") and other songs intended as solos.
I definately reccoment this disc to an opera fan interested in another side of Sumi Jo, or a musical theater fan in search of a good voice (or both). My only reservation is a few of the song choices.
Free Music Review: What's Love Got To Do With It?
Hit: 3 Stars
Why can't I flip over this outing into Broadway tunes? I feel much the same way as I do when Kiri Te Kanawa strays into the same territory; it doesn't feel like home for the artist. They visit, they leave, and you fast forget they were there. If you really want to know how Sumi Jo can sing listen to "The Art of Sumi Jo". The tracks there from Domino Noir inspired me to purchase the full length recording of that Auber opera where Sumi Jo sparkles and shines through it in the way she seems to with everything else I've heard her do. Though each eminently listenable track on "Only Love" is handled with great vocal competence the schmaltzy Ettore Stratta arrangements are too much alike, and a personal / individual interpretation of any one is not to be found. Whilst easy to listen to sometimes a great voice doesn't produce a great rendition of a tune. I'd normally be hard pushed to compare Enya to Sumi Jo, unlikely even to imagine them mentioned in the same breath, yet listen to the former's atmospheric and haunting recording of In Marble Halls, and listen to the one here. Then you'll know what I mean.Free Music Review: Beautiful!
Hit: 5 Stars
Proof that musicals can be sung without the "Belt-technique". Pure, beautiful and amazing! This is what I call crossover!