Barbra has given a gift, not only to her fans, but to all who appreciate the great legacy of American pop and jazz music. This new album is an exploration of love, its incredible highs and lows, and also its ability to provide sustainability of the soul.

In much of her career, Barbra has always had a message that she wanted to express to her listeners. This album is no exception.

What we have here is Barbra, at age 67, an age at which most serious singers have a wealth of life experience to color their interpretations of lyrics, but they may be lacking the vocal abilities they once had. We have great readings of the emotional content of songs, but sadly they are lacking the great musicality of their earlier recordings.

This is not the case with Barbra.

Her voice remains a supple, thrilling instrument, whether conversationally extolling the everyday comfort of having someone that loves you, or conveying the despair of losing that someone that you love.

What I find most notable about Barbra's choice of songs for this album, is that, for years she has avoided so called, "victim songs", those that we usually call "torch songs". We should thank our lucky stars that she has abandoned that thinking for this album, for her interpretations of songs of lost love are the strongest. Listen to "If You Go Away" and, especially "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes".

The latter contains a reading by Barbra that is, in my opinion, among the greatest of her career, rivaling "Cry Me A River" from her earliest recording. She bares a raw emotionality not heard from her in many years, even allowing a raspiness to creep into her voice as she describes her pain.

Buy this CD, this is Barbra at the pinnacle of her career.