Rondi Charleston has been involved with high stakes projects her whole post-pubescent life—from a stint at Juilliard and singing opera to Emmy-winning professional journalism— finally settling in on the quest to became a professional jazz singer.

The first question is: Does she have the goods? At first I am inclined to give an emphatic yes, due to her well-produced, pleasing voice with precise diction and controlled vibrato. However, as I continued to listen and view (she has a concert film in her two-disc set) I have come to a more ambivalent conclusion.
The hard evidence, of course is in the CD and DVD themselves. Her first song on the CD, “Beautiful” (Carole King) starts off promising, with clear rhythmic singing and a nice band blend led by the terrific pianist Bruce Barth. I am not convinced though, that this song should be used as a jazz vehicle because, however tuneful, the lyric is banal and not worth revisiting. “You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart—then people gonna treat you better.” Not so good.

Later in the CD, Ms. Charleston does the pop tune “In My Life,” which features a more subtle and flexible lyric. Sting’s work often shows up in jazz programs and “Until” is a highly romantic tale with a Jacques Brel feel. Some Mercer and Jobim were tossed in, assuring that some classics were represented.

At seven songs, the CD is short, so I took it upon myself to view Ms. Charleston’s filmed performance at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. My ambivalent feelings were reinforced by her live show. Although she was suffering from a bit of dry throat, she remained poised, with the show “climaxing” when she introduced her eight-year-old daughter to the bandstand. Influenced by a trip to the Hayden Planetarium, she proudly explained that the girl was on the way to understanding string theory, thus leading to a very precious tune regarding cosmology.

She is a golden girl in all senses—her voice, her hair, even her promotional material is bathed in an ethereal glow. The problem is that her delivery of the music was consistent, too consistent, to a point of being dull. There was very little shading of sound or emotion. As I was listening, I found my mind wandering, as I was not drawn in by any drama, virtuosity or soul. I’m not going to argue about what jazz is or is not, as I have not really figured it all out—but if being attractive, musical and clever was the be-all and end-all, Ms. Charleston would fit the ticket. Sadly, or perhaps mercifully, the “X” factor is still something that cannot be manufactured. At least not yet.

Melody Breyer-Grell
Cabaret Scenes
September 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org