Diane Schuur

Having displayed a knack in the past for reinterpreting both pop and jazz tunes, jazz vocalist Diane Schuur once again succeeds in bringing together an unexpected mix of compositions on Schuur Fire. Featuring the Caribbean Jazz Project, the album finds Schuur's clarion vocals melding nicely with vibist Dave Samuels' superb Latin jazz ensemble -- especially trumpeter Diego Urcola, who takes some tasty solos throughout. To these ends, listeners discover that James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" makes for a comfortable soft jazz number with a nice double-time midsection, and Stevie Wonder's "As" fits perfectly into the uptempo Latin dance style. Interestingly, Sergio Mendes' "Look Around" is given a faithfully retro feel that harks back to such shiny vocal groups as the Free Design. However, nobody but Schuur could have predicted how great Don Gibson's classic country tune "I Can't Stop Loving You" would sound as a samba. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide