FOR THE RECORD
Elaine Paige, who is arguably the First Lady of the British Musical theatre, has released her first live solo recording, which celebrates her 40 years on the musical stage. Paige, who created leading roles in the original London productions of Evita, Cats and Chess, still boasts one of the great voices in the business, one that soars to the stratosphere, and the new disc, which is titled "Elaine Paige Live: Celebrating a Life On Stage," captures that vocal magic. The 19-track CD, available from EP Records, chronicles Paige's award-winning career through song and story. In addition to her signature tunes, which include "Memory," "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "I Know Him So Well," the CD also features tunes that Paige did not perform on stage: "Broadway Baby," "Tomorrow" and a particularly beautiful rendition of the Beatles tune "Yesterday" (Paige's audition song for Evita). Other highlights include powerful versions of the Sunset Boulevard anthems "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye"; and three songs from Paige's turn as the late French chanteuse Edith Piaf. Listeners are also treated to a few showbiz anecdotes, including Dustin Hoffman's advice to a young Paige; the singing actress also presents a tune co-written by Hoffman and Bette Midler that is titled "Shoot the Breeze." It's a terrific act that one hopes Paige will bring to this side of the Atlantic.

Donna Lynne Champlin, the Billy Elliot star who played Pirelli in the Tony-winning revival of Sweeney Todd, brings new dimension to the term "one-man band" on her debut solo recording, which is entitled "Old Friends." Not only does the talented artist provide all the vocals on the new CD, but she also plays piano, accordion, flute, tin whistle, synthed guitar, bass, strings, chimes and percussion. If that weren't enough, Champlin recorded the disc in her New York studio apartment utilizing a budget of just $1,000. For those interested, the singing actress also blogged about the process on donnalynnechamplinsfirstsolocd.blogspot.com. Champlin's debut disc features an eclectic mix of material, including show tunes, film songs, standards and traditional tunes, among others. Highlights include the country tearjerker "Where've You Been?," "Still Hurting" from The Last Five Years, the "Toy Story II" anthem "When She Loved Me," Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More" and the traditional Irish song, "The Parting Glass," which concludes the disc.

Christmas may have already passed, but thanks to Brent Barrett's new holiday recording, the sounds of the season can linger throughout the year. Barrett, whose Broadway credits include Chicago and Annie Get Your Gun, recently released his third solo recording, which is his first to focus on holiday tunes. Entitled "Christmas Mornings," the single CD is available on the Kritzerland label. Barrett is in wonderful voice, and the joy of the season comes through on the disc's 12 tracks. In addition to such holiday favorites as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and "The Christmas Song," Barrett also wraps his lush lyric baritone around two new tunes: "A Star to Guide Me," which he co-wrote with Bernard Blanks and Barry Kleinbort, and "Christmas Mornings," penned by Blanks. Other highlights include a beautiful delivery of "O Holy Night," a wonderful pairing of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "A Place Called Home," a gentle "White Christmas" and a duet of "Silent Night" with songwriter Blanks. The recording features musical direction and arrangements by Christopher Denny and orchestrations by Larry Moore.

When it was originally announced that five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein would join forces with Broadway leading man Cheyenne Jackson — recently seen in the short-lived but heralded revival of Finian's Rainbow — for a cabaret act, it seemed an unlikely melding of talents. However, the show they presented at Feinstein's namesake club in Manhattan was greeted with critical accolades, and a recording of that show, titled "The Power of Two," has just been released on the Harbinger Records label. Both men possess rangy, powerful and smooth voices, and the recording, like the show it is based on, celebrates relationships of all kinds. Feinstein and Jackson get the chance to shine in both solos and duets; among the highlights of the latter are the CD's title track (a ballad that was originally performed by The Indigo Girls) and a wonderful rendition of the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II ballad, "We Kiss in a Shadow." It's also great to hear Nancy Ford and Gretchen Cryer's "Old Friend," a song that Feinstein recorded on his first solo disc and now sings with even more passion. Jackson, whose voice pours out with ease, is especially effective on "Old Devil Moon," a song from the aforementioned musical Finian's Rainbow. Continued...