There Again

by Scott YanowEden Atwood has a lovely voice but this CD (which is dominated by ballads) features little improvising and much of the material has been overdone through the years. Her versions of "It Never Entered My Mind" (a song she is too young to sing) and "The Nearness of You" are far from definitive, Atwood interprets "Sonny Boy" with such seriousness that one wonders if she ever heard Al Jolson's version, and by speeding up "You're My Thrill" she drains that song of all its sensuality. Her rhythm section (pianist Dave Berkman, bassist Michael Moore and drummer Ron Vincent) is supportive without making an impression while the guest appearances of pianist Marian McPartland and tenorman Chris Potter are not enough to uplift this set. Eden Atwood, 26 at the time of this recording (her third Concord CD) is fine as a middle-of-the-road pop singer but she will have to work on her improvising abilities before she can be taken all that seriously by the jazz world.