Lost In His Arms

Meredith d'Ambrosio accompanies herself for the most part on this solo CD. She's got the perfect piano chops to back her soft but always swinging vocals, resulting in an album that often seems like the listener is eavesdropping on an artist performing alone for her own enjoyment. Part of the informal nature of these sessions is that only one of the 15 tracks exceeds three minutes in length, while several end after only a single chorus. The singer is especially effective interpreting wistful ballads like "Blame It On My Youth" and "In Love in Vain." She taps her foot a bit to "Baltimore Oriole" and the gliding treatment of "Up Jumped Spring," and delightfully restores the often omitted verse to "It Never Entered My Mind." She sings a bit more brazenly when Ray Santisi takes her place at the piano (adding bassist Chris Rathburn and an unidentified drummer playing brushes) on the brisk "Alone Together" and a waltz-time "Never Never Land." First released on LP by Spring, these memorable sessions were reissued on CD by Sunnyside in 1994.