Hiromi Kanda – Hiromi In Love (2010/MusicGate Blu-ray + CD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B Extras: C Music: B-
As a
child star, Hiromi Kanda was a major sensation and is one of those rare singers
whose career survived childhood success.
As a new, mature project, Hiromi In Love (2010) is a project
meant as a throwback to the days of torch songs and standards not unlike Linda Ronstadt’s
1982 hit album What’s New. Now on Blu-ray and CD, the songs (in Blu-ray
order) include:
1)
That Old Feeling
2)
When I Fall In Love
3)
Someone To Watch Over Me
4)
Always Here For You
5)
My Funny Valentine
6)
Blue Love
7)
Cry
8)
In The Wee Hours Of The Morning
9)
I’ll Never Smile Again
10) The Second Time Around
11) Unforgettable
Backed by
the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, Miss Kanda surprises with very fine, solid
performances of these classics, in part because she does not follow the tired,
formula phrasing too many singers in recent decades have fallen into when
remaking these songs. That may even
throw some listeners off, but I actually liked it and the approach works for
me. All
The Way and How Deep Is The Ocean
show up as audio-only on both editions.
No, they
may not always be definitive performances of the songs, yet they are smooth and
some work better than others. However,
Miss Kanda proves she can handle them, enjoys the material and does not rush
it, making Hiromi In
Love a very interesting release within the genre.
The 1080i
1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image is a little soft throughout simply
showing Miss Kanda singing the songs on stage in classic clothing of the period
she looks very good in. I just wish we
did not have as much motion blur. The
Blu-ray PCM 2.0 Stereo mix and PCM on the CD fare better, though I wished for a
multi-channel mix and did not get one, but this is nicely recorded. Extras include two audio-only bonus tracks on
the Blu-ray. Too bad there are no
interviews or featurettes on the Blu-ray.
- Nicholas Sheffo
