The New York Pops, Skitch Henderson, Maureen McGovern - With A Song In My Heart (The Great Songs Of Richard Rodgers) (2000)

Maureen McGovern sings these wonderful Richard Rodgers tunes as if they were composed especially for her. From her opening "With a Song in my Heart", on through to "My Romance", "Isn't it Romantic", and "This nearly was Mine", McGovern displays her quintessentially "Broadway" singing style--a true "legit" sound married to clear, natural diction. She also infuses each number with a vitality and a wry knowing (enlivening Hart's clever lyrics for "It Never Entered my Mind" and "I Didn't Know What Time it Was") that makes many of these classics sound almost contemporary.

McGovern gets ideal support from Skitch Henderson's smooth, jazz-based orchestral arrangements, particularly in her accompanied scatting in "My Favorite Things" and "Lover". Henderson also contributes suave yet sensitive conducting for McGovern's wonderfully wistful and lyrical rendition of "Hello Young Lovers". Six of the 14 tracks feature Henderson and the New York Pops in instrumental-only arrangements (including "Oklahoma!" and "Manhattan") as well as song compilations (a medley from South Pacific). Fine as they are, I found myself wishing for more of McGovern's genuine and quite infectious singing. But that's okay--far better to be barely satiated than saturated. The studio-based recording, while not providing concert hall realism, places the singer comfortably in the lush orchestral setting. -- Victor Carr