Barbara Cook's Broadway

Amazon.com Barbara Cook's Broadway doesn't actually document this magnificent singer's engagement on the Great White Way, but instead a Lincoln Center show compiling her favorite musical-theater tunes. Cook includes material from two of her signature shows: "Till There Was You" from The Music Man and a superb four-song suite from She Loves Me (though she doesn't do "Ice Cream"). The rest ranges from standards ("A Wonderful Guy") to underestimated pieces ("His Face" from Carnival). Like Rosemary Clooney before her, Cook has maintained her standing as a singer by reinventing herself from ingenue to supremely elegant and precise stylist. Just listen to her unexpectadly dark-edged version of "The Gentleman Is a Dope" and you'll see how a brilliant interpretive singer can out wring new meaning out of the most familiar material. It's not all about belting, folks. --Elisabeth Vincentelli