All That Jazz: The Best Of Ute Lemper
Many American theatergoers discovered Germany'sUte Lemperwhen she took on the part ofChicago's Velma Kelly on Broadway. Except that Lemper already was well known as an actress and singer in Europe, where she got noticed with her performance ofKurt Weill and Weimar cabaret songs. (I even remember seeing her as Sally Bowles in a 1986 Paris production ofCabaret, whose "Don't Tell Mama" is included here). To say Lemper is a mannered interpreter would be an understatement. On the Weill songs, she makes Lotte Lenya sound downright minimalist. In addition to Weill, this CD includes a fairly comprehensive selection of the range of Lemper's repertoire, from tunes popularized by Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf to an excerpt from theMichael Nyman Songbookalbum. (No trace of the singer's downright strange take on "The Ladies Who Lunch," though.)  The embodiment of the European tradition of art-song interpretation, Lemper may be a bit of an acquired taste, but her fans are certainly as passionate as her detractors.--Elisabeth Vincentelli