Janice Harper Embers of Love [1960]

Capitol Records ST 1337

Lost in the shuffle amid a Capitol Records stable populated by singers including Peggy Lee, June Christy, and Julie London, Janice Harper eschewed the cool-school aesthetic of her rivals in favor of a more traditional and direct approach that emphasized emotion over intellect. Her finest LP, Embers of Love, remains a potent evocation of perseverance in the face of romantic dissolution, celebrating the dawn rather than the darkness. Paired with arranger Stan Applebaum, Harper invests melancholy ballads like "Cry Me a River," "The Thrill Is Gone," and "For All We Know" with a warmth and sincerity bordering on naïveté. For all their smoky, late-night ambience, the songs possess an undercurrent of optimism that softens their impact, divining solace from the sorrow.

Tracklist:
01 Cry Me A River
02 Always
03 I Am Forgetting You
04 If You Are But A Dream
05 If You Love Me (Really Love Me)
06 I'm Thru With Love
07 The Thrill Is Gone
08 All The Things You Are
09 Just Say I Love Him
10 I Hadn't Anyone Till You
11 For All We Know
12 I Believe