I BELIEVE IN LOVE Review by Scott Yanow

A talented and adaptable singer who has a beautiful voice, Marsha Bartenetti has sung in several styles throughout her career including pop and r&b, and she spent a long period focused on jingles and voiceover work. Fortunately she began recording jazz-inspired albums seven years ago; I Believe In Love is her fourth CD as a leader.

I Believe In Love is dominated by love songs that cover a variety of moods and themes. The personnel and instrumentation changes from song-to-song with the key sidemen including Stephan Oberhoff (who supplied some of the arrangements, plays guitar on two numbers, keyboards on one, and all of the instruments on “Alfie” and an inspired version of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most”), Robert Kyle whose soprano is an asset on two numbers, pianist Kevin Madill, and guitarist Pat Bergeson.

Ms. Bartenetti’s versatility and comfort in different settings is very evident on such numbers as “Fragile,” “I Got It Bad,” a country-flavored “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “The Very Thought Of You” and Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away.” She gives plenty of warmth to the ballads, adds a light swing to each performance, and really digs deep into the meanings behind the lyrics.

The results are quite delightful. I Believe In Love is a fine effort that is available from www.marshabartenetti.com.

 Scott Yanow