Reviewing the latest recording from Angela Hagenbach took me back to nostalgic memories of time spent with the albums of the popular composers who wrote music for big band, film scores, jazz and pop music. Recorded under the label of Resonance Records, the sixth release from Angela Hagenbach, is called "The Way They Make Me Feel". The title is a play on Michel Legrand's composition "The Way He Makes Me Feel". The title expresses how the music of Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand and the late Henry Mancini makes Angela feel.
The evolution of the recording began four or five years ago when producer Gerorge Klabin came upon Ms. Hagenbach's version of "Street of Dreams". It was upon the request of another singer that he came to hear Angela's voice and style. His mission was to look for as many versions of the song, and when he heard Angela's rendition of the song, she described, in an interview with Joe Klopus (Kansas City Star), that "he (Klabin) was knocked out by it." He invited her for some performances while he formulated the concept of the recording including the title.
From that time to this moment, the vision is now a reality and this CD has been getting a lot of attention from coast to coast. She worked with artists with whom she was already comfortable and familiar with: Roger Wilder (her regular pianist) and Tamir Hendlman and Kuno Schmid on the arrangements. These choices, it turns out, were right to evoke the quite perfect product - music with swing, feel, and soul. Angela's contralto vocal range with its rich and deep timbre gives a body to the songs, especially heard in Mandel's composition "Close Enough for Love". This recording is the first time Angela allowed herself to "sit back and be the artist". Her previous five recordings were released under her own label, Amazon Records.
There is a good range of music from uptown swing with "Sure as You're Born", the bossa nova touch with "Cinnamon and Clove", a jazzy flair with "Charade" and there is plenty of romance with Michel Legrand's ballads. If you recognize any of the songs, and remember how you absorbed it in its original form then you will be pleasantly surprised at the imaginative interpretation of an old favorite - like rekindling an old love affair.
1. Cinnamon and Clove (J. Mandel) 2. Slow Hot Wind (H. Mancini) 3. Summer Me, Winter Me (M. Legrand) 4. I Will Wait for You (M. Legrand) 5. Quietly There (J. Mandel) 6. Sure as You're Born (J. Mandel) 7. Close Enough for Love (J. Mandel) 8. Charade (H. Mancini) 9. Whistling Away the Dark (H. Mancini) 10. His Eyes, Her Eyes (M. Legrand) 11. The Way He Makes Me Feel (M. Legrand)
The music of the three composers are classic with thought and planning, and the production of the music has paid deep respect to its roots with the details in the arrangement and delivery. "The Way He Makes Me Feel" is analogous to Chekov's character Sophie (of Uncle Vanya) as Angela sings with introspection and deep longing for her beloved. She expresses the sentiment in the lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Angela's expression of the music is brooding, moving, and languid and luscious like a deeply flowing river. The music is a great companion.----ANALYN REVILLA