Angela Somer

Diva is an entertaining and attractively packaged compilation of Angela Gheorghiu's EMI recordings made between 1996 and 2002. All of the selections have appeared on previous releases, but some of them only in the context of complete operas. As a one-disc snapshot of Gheorghiu's career so far, Diva does pretty well, and it would make a good first choice for anyone looking to get to know her work.

Honest, sincere, unpretentious, and yes, personal. These are the qualities that make Angela Johnson one of the finest artists-writers-producers to emerge in the modern soul era. For her, making music is about melody and rhythm, hooks and harmonies. Flash, faux-swag, and fads are simply not synonymous with the woman who can move an audience to tears just by singing solo at the piano or summon a crowd to their feet while leading a band in rousing live renditions of her material. Five years since her last full-length solo album, Angela Johnson returns with It's Personal. From the understated sway of album opener "Only One" through the jazz-inflected title track, it is obvious that Angela Johnson is in complete possession of her powers.