Zeigiest Radio - Edinburgh, Scotland:
“Maybe this just caught me in the right place and time. A chill, spring morning wandering through half-lit streets, with a heavy heart. then I slipped this album into the walkman. Nine songs later my heart was still heavy but temporary relief is better than no relief.
I'm always vaguely insulted by the term smooth jazz, suggestive as it is of something lacking, when it can be so much more. Especially, when there is a voice as pure and soothing as the one possessed by Karen Monte. There's no sloppy diction here, as each word is carefully measured for maximum impact.
A mixture of covers and originals, much kudos goes to songwriter, keyboard player and co-producer John Mackay whose songs hold themselves proudly in some heady company. Although the overall winner is the eternally hopeful "You Show Me" which even warms the cockles of this jaded reviewer. A divine album and my new best friend.”
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TripleU-FM Radio - Australia:
“It's hard for me to decide which I was most impressed with, Karen's voice, her arrangements, or the songs she selected for this fabulous album. I'll be playing almost every track on my program, with the exception of track 4 (You Moved Me To This), which whilst very good, is not exactly what I'm looking for. I've already scheduled to play track 2 (Dream On People) on my Jazz program on 28th June and will continue to play almost all the other tracks on subsequent programs. This woman's got a great future and I know will go down well with my Australian listeners. If Karen's ever doing an Australian tour, I'd love to interview her on my program. If she has recorded any other CD's (or does so in future) I wouldn't hesitate to play further tracks of her's on air. The most accurate word used in the promo was "Captivates"... as this radio program host is Captivated!”
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94.1 FM RADIO 2 - Macedonia:
“This is an excellent collection of material perfectly executed in vocal and instrumental department, one of favorites of our station recently! Karen 's voice does justice to every track and she should have success with this outing. I recommend this stuff to every fan of good music to enjoy it in the late hours of the day.”
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RADIO PLURIEL91.5 - France:
“Thanks for your so great music. I really enjoyed it. I added it to my WJAZ broadcast play list on RADIO PLURIEL 91.5FM in France, plus worldwide INTERNET via our web site...”
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Radio Poplar Network - Italy:
"KAREN MONTE' Close Your Eyes Not to not see. But to see better. And to listen better. To an extraordinary journey towards new musical lands, where creative instrumental supports and beautiful vocal grooves are the same together with quality music and arrangements. KAREN MONTE's new album Close Your Eyes is the best invitation to dreaming atmospheres and an emotional power surprising at every song and each time this great voice is conducted through intense and deeply refined horizons. The choice of the repertoire (all original songs well realized) and the supporting musicians (all at a great professional level) are the right ingredients to make the picture complete. Preferred tracks: 1 Close Your Eyes - 3 You Show Me."
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O's Place Jazz Magazine - Illinois:
"Karen Monte - Close Your Eyes 3/4 [Perf/Sound; 5/5 max] O's Notes: We could tell that the arrangements were unique from the first few notes of the title track. Credit keyboardist John MacKay here but you'll appreciate Monte's delivery. Her voice is gentle, sweet and strong enough to stand out front without masking from the music. Every note gave us a better appreciation of her signature. The program is jazzy popular music with romantic story lines. "You Show Me" was one of our favorites along with "You Moved Me To This", a duet with Joey Blake. Close Your Eyes is a pleasing performance." |
