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I'VE
ALWAYS BEEN FIRST AND FOREMOST A SINGER. AS A CHILD I GREW UP
IN THE LIMELIGHT OF MY MOTHER, THE FIRST GREAT FEMALE CANTOR,
FRAYDELE OYSHER. I STARTED PERFORMING WITH MY MOM AT AGE SEVEN.
I COULD SING IN SIX LANGUAGES. I WAS INSPIRED BY MY UNCLE, THE
LEGENDARY CANTOR MOISHE OYSHER, AND WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE RECORDED
AND SUNG DUETS WITH MY UNCLE AT AGE FOURTEEN. AS A KID I SAT
THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM PUCCINI TO WAGNER AS MY DAD, HAROLD
STERNBERG, SANG BASSO WITH THE METROPOLITAN OPERA. SOME KIDS
ARE ARMY BRATS, I WAS A MET OPERA BRAT, AND THE "ELOISE" OF
THE YIDDISH THEATRE.
AS A TEENAGER AT MUSIC AND ART HIGH SCHOOL, I WROTE AND RECORDED
THE DOO WOP OF THE TIMES, AND ULTIMATELY RECORDED WITH PHIL
RAMONE, HUGO AND LUIGI OF RCA VICTOR, WARNER BROS. AND ABC PARAMOUNT.
MY
MENTOR, THE ARRANGER AND SAXOPHONIST, HAL WESS, SCHOOLED ME
AND DRILLED ME IN EVERYTHING FROM PEGGY TO FRANK, MORGANA, JUDY,
EYDIE AND LENA. CONSEQUENTLY MY LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THE
ABSORPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF AN ECLECTIC VARIETY OF MUSIC.
ON THE JOURNEY I'VE STOPPED EVERY SO OFTEN TO DABBLE IN THE
REALM OF COMEDY AND MIMICRY ... OR HIDING BEHIND A FUNNY FACE.
THIS
THEN, IS AN ALBUM OF SONGS AND FINALLY I AM BACK TO MY ROOTS.
I'VE COME FULL CIRCLE. BECOMING A PARENT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST
EXPERIENCE AND JOY OF MY LIFE. I BELIEVE THAT MOST PARENTS FEEL
THIS AS DEEPLY AS I DO. THE SONGS THAT I'VE CHOSEN ON THIS CD
ARE VARIED IN STYLE, BUT THE LYRICS ARE ALL UNITED IN ONE THEME.
I INTERPRET THEM AS MESSAGES AND FEELINGS WE, AS PARENTS, HAVE
TOWARDS AND ABOUT OUR CHILDREN. THAT FOR ME HAS BEEN INSPIRATION
ENOUGH. I HOPE THEY GIVE YOU AS MUCH PLEASURE IN THE LISTENING
AS THEY GAVE ME IN THE PERFORMING.
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Best known as the uncanny voice of other show business personalities,
Marilyn Michaels is a warm and winning vocalist in her own right.
Michaels ranges far and wide, from the Broadway and film masters
to folk ("Scarlet Ribbons" and the Yiddish "Beneath
the Trees") and some originals, including a sentimental
title song by Marvin Hamlish, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman.
When Marilyn Michaels offers up Marilyn Michaels, vocal artistry
is of high order.
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by Andrew Gans
What is most evident in Marilyn Michaels, "A Mother's
Voice", is the singer's pure joy for singing and her love
of these beautiful classic songs. Michael's voice/singing is
an amalgam of styles: part Broadway belt, part jazz and even
somewhat gospel-flavored. Her simple, unaffected rendition of
this uplifting tune ("A Mother's Voice") is completely
heartwarming. Michaels also scores with a jazzy, appealing rhythmic
rendition of "My Favorite Things" as well as a playful
"Talk to the Animals" and a joyous "Me and My
Baby," in which she is joined by her 14-year-old son, Mark
Wilk.
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by David Hinckley
"A Mother's Voice" is first class, with Michaels
mixing standards like "September Song" and "The
Impossible Dream" with sentimental songs like "A Mother's
Voice" and "Children and Art".
In the end, in fact, what she skillfully crafts is a record
that can work for both grownups and children, thanks to "My
Favorite Things," "Talk to the Animals' and "When
You Wish Upon a Star." It's hard to resist.
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