'Barbie Anaka is a jazz vocalist well on her way to earning national recognition.' -Cedric James, radio host KWJZ, 98.9 'Smooth Jazz' ---------------- REVIEWED BY JENNIFER LAYTON, 4/02 This is moonlight over a quiet ocean. A romantic dinner by candlelight. Barbie Anaka is a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned classic jazz into living magic. There's almost nothing else I can say about that voice - you just have to hear it. But what adds an element of quirkiness to the CD is her choice of cover songs. 'Take The L,' an 80s hit from the Motels, lends itself surprisingly well to smoky jazz. The saxophone and piano set the heartbroken mood beautifully. From there, I skipped ahead to hear 'On Broadway,' the track that turned out to be my favorite after I'd heard each blissful one. This version is done as a crooning, melancholy, rainy-night streetlamp ballad, and it is reason enough to buy the CD. Old school jazz fans will swoon for this. Romantics will dream to it. As a music lover who's a little of both, I got goose bumps. ---------------- Barbie Anaka with David Loy, Ballads Through the Night REVIEWED, INDIEMUSICREVIEW, 11/02 On Barbie Anaka with David Loy's 2002 release, Ballads Through the Night, one thing is certain-- this girl can sing! To follow up her recent album of original jazz/ pop songs, In Love with a Memory, Barbie chose to focus on her vocal performance rather than her songwriting talents. These twelve cover tunes give the singer plenty of room to do what she does best. Along with pianist David Loy and a few scattered players on several of the tracks, Barbie's voice expertly moves between sweet and smoky, tough and tender. On 'Sunny Skies' and 'You Taught My Heart to Sing' the singer rolls low into the melodies. Her rich vocal tones shine with unwavering beauty as she carefully pushes out every syllable. And it is all captured on this disc.
...a more angelic Streisand with a sultry, resonant, rich voice that turns old-fashioned classic jazz into living magic. -- Jennifer Layton, indie-music.com, April 2003One thing is certain-- this girl can sing! Barbie's voice expertly moves between sweet and smoky, tough and tender. -- indiemusicreview.com, October 2002You want sultry and seductive, powerful and inspiring, tender and romantic it is all here! -- weekendenvironments.com, January 2003