Wendy MOten - Timeless – Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting

Wendy Moten

Timeless – Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting
Woodward Avenue Records; 2014

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

If you aren't familiar with Wendy Moten let me introduce you. She started her career in 1992, had a billboard charting hit song "Come In Out Of The Rain," toured the world for over ten years with Julio Iglesias and much more. Her latest album entitled Timeless – Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting is unique in that she covers songs written by Richard A. Whiting. Richard A. Whiting was an American composer born in 1891 who wrote an ample amount of songs including “Hooray for Hollywood” and “On the Goodship Lollipop.” 

Moten decided to cover some of his lesser-known gems with a contemporary smooth jazz vibe that reinvents the songs in her own style. I can easily picture Moten in a classy jazz club with everyone’s eyes on her. In fact, everything oozes class with these songs. There are so smooth and so slick. 

Opener “My Ideal” is a delicate song that sparkles with piano, bass, guitar, horns and drums that support Moten’s vocals. She has a voice that sounds tailor-made for the soft smooth jazz on this album. It slithers and slides throughout the song keeping your attention and interest.

The second track “Miss Brown To You” is more festive and lively than the opener. It doesn't exactly rock but is a good time. It reminded me of a show tune. Her voice is the star but some of that piano work was mighty impressive as well.

Things drop slow and low in “He’s Funny That Way” while “Too Marvelous for Worlds” is a song you can ever so slightly shake your hips to. As it progresses the next two songs “I Wanna Go Places and Do Things” and “True Blue Lou” are further testaments to her musical ability. The fact is that all the songs are pretty solid. It’s a remarkably consistent album that doesn’t contain any real lulls. Sure there are shifts in energy but that’s what an album is supposed to do. 

Timeless – Wendy Moten Sings Richard Whiting won't exactly appeal to hipsters who need to have Pitchfork approved bands in their headphones. This is old school smooth jazz that will most likely find a slightly older audience but I encourage anyone of any age to check this out.

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