I’ve come to accept the fact that ISony Holland’s interpretations of standards tends to leave me cold. However, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it when she sings the songs written for her by her husband Jerry Holland. There’s something about the melding of performer and material that brings to mind Burt Bacharach & Dionne Warwick or Petula Clark and Tony Hatch.
And fortunately this CD is totally devoted tot he orignal songs of Jerry Holland. While it features great performances, it’s also a treasure trove of intelligent, melodic material. The Trouble Is is a terrific relationship song, and I love the weary optimism of To Better Days. And one of the many terrific St. Louis-based singers I know should be checking out Somewhere Near St. Louis.
On A San Francisco High, The Trouble Is, The Liberal Ladies Of San Mateo, That’s New, In Marin, Chestnut Street, To Better Days, Lovely To Be Lonely, Whirlwind Romance, My Man And I, Somewhere Near St. Louis
