"Her voice continues to have a dusky transparency with a slightly raspy texture which she brings to the fore as she feels the need, as well as a fluidity that implies she does not necessarily have to think through every phrase. The stream of her singing seems to owe as much to some degree of innate impulsion as to strategizing. This is not to say she doesn’t plan her CDs, with regard to repertoire and personnel, but that once the music starts, she both captures and is captured by a kind of centripetal flow that overrides thought and centers her performance. She makes it sound so damn natural and spontaneous, one is left with the impression that these particular songs were meant to be sung exactly the way she sings them." -- Alan Bargebuhr, Cadence, December 2005
"Byrne explores the meanings of the lyrics that she sings with unerring perception, something that is especially appropriate on a selection of songs [on Licensed to Thrill] that explore many different aspects of life, its ups and downs, through which Byrne has herself travelled. She brings a late-night intimacy to love songs such as My Old Flame and Shadowland, and is deeply moving on the paired songs with which she ends the set. To the mid- and up-tempo pieces, among them Talk To Me Baby and the opener, she imparts a lithe swing and her natural joyousness is very appealing." -- Bruce Crowther, Jazz Journal International
"A highly talented singer, mature and unforced, Donna Byrne sings with the liquid grace of a horn player. Her interpretation of lyrics shows a profound understanding of their emotional depths. Joined here by the excellent rhythm section of Tim Ray (p), Marshall Wood (b), Jim Gwin (d), Bucky Pizzarelli (g), along with tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, Donna delivers a fine set of mainly standards. This is a thoroughly engaging CD by a singer of considerable merit and who deserves the wider attention she is now beginning to receive." -- Bruce Crowther, from his Web site
"Artistry that will always appear fresh.....no phony affectations...Beautiful and completely believable. What more can one ask for?" -- Ruby Braff
"A swinger of some considerable passion, bearing long lines, and a full dynamic range, Donna Byrne rarely over-embellishes a phrase, knowing precisely when to put out, but more importantly, when to hold back. These welcome qualities are nicely offset by her intelligent, heartfelt way with a lyric, and a sense of emotional clarity, which acts as an impetus to the music at hand. More than a mere clone of Rosie, Peggy or the Helens, Donna Byrne swings past any white-chick cliché's to project an exciting brand of sensuality and passion that is hers alone." -- George Evans, Planet Jazz - The International Jazz Review
"So, this is yet another exceptional program by Ms. Byrne, as she continues to handle vocal technique with such seeming ease one is swept along, unaware of the "mechanics" of her art. Her voice is a pure stream of lyric poetry, free of affectation, direct and expressive, modulated and accelerated at will, as she takes obvious pleasure in making use of the raw song materials at hand." -- Alan Bargebuhr, Cadence, May 2003
"On Licensed to Thrill, her sixth solo album, Donna Byrne is supported by an excellent rhythm section augmented on six of the thirteen titles by the ever-dependable tenor sax of Scott Hamilton and the ever-welcome work of veteran guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Good diction combined with sesitivity for lyrics and the ability to swing are the hallmarks of a superior artist and all these virtues are present here." -- VJM's Jazz and Blues Mart, Winter 2002
"Jazz vocalist Donna Byrne's animated manner of spinning a lyric is augmented by her warm intonations and acute sense of swing. Here, [on Licensed to Thrill] she garners terrific support from guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and saxophonist Scott Hamilton. The artists project a scenario that might be conducive to an upscale hotel lounge, as Byrne embraces a jazzy set consisting of familiar standards." -- Glenn Astarita, All Music Guide, 2003
"Boston-based vocalist Donna Byrne has produced several fine albums over the past 15 or so years. She has consistently proven to be a singer with a strong jazz feeling, a voice that is on the husky side, but not heavily so, and a penchant for choosing superior songs. Her latest release, "Licensed to Thrill (AL Records – 73230), ranks with her best." -- Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz, 2003
"I haven't heard such fresh singing since I first laid ears on the singing of Joannie Sommers. Her special trio lead by ace bass player Marshall Wood is certainly first class 'all the way'. . . . This very special vocalist has a great deal to offer. She makes the best of her shared time with us on this unique CD (Byrnin'). As one of her big fans I can't wait for her next offering." -- Dan Singer, IN TUNE International, August 2002
"An excellent singer . . . Donna Byrne , . . . offering a luscious, slow rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You." -- at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., October 7, 2001. Review by Alan Greenblatt.
"Donna Byrne offers a varied program of ballads and swingers and is convincingly transcendent with all she touches, largely because she's in such complete command of her vocal instrument that she can concentrate on ancillary issues, such s dramatic interpretation, phrasing, and the detailing of individual notes." -- Alan Bargebuhr, Cadence, July 2001
"But Byrne knows how to extend herself far beyond mere recitation of the words. Her delivery is so engaging, so dazzling, so bright that each tune is an entertaining foray into the world of the art of jazz vocal. Not only is she equipped with an extraordinary set of vocal chords, excellent and top of the line timing and phrasing, she does not let herself get hemmed in by conventional vocal wisdom, letting her imagination provide the direction for the session. . . .This her latest album (Don't Dream of Anybody But Me) only solidifies Byrne's position as a major contemporary jazz vocalist." -- Dave Nathan, All About Jazz, April 2001
" Over the ensuing eight years, the voice, while a little huskier, has lost not an iota of its attractiveness; neither has Byrne mislaid any ability to deliver a varied and interesting agenda of tunes in a most entertaining way. . . . Her fifth album (Byrnin') validates Donna Byrne as one of the most accomplished and entertaining jazz vocalists on the scene today, deserving far greater recognition than she has been afforded to date. " -- Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
"Donna Byrne returned to our concert hall for her second appearance on Tuesday, February. 20th. She brought with her the same fine swinging group led by husband, Marshall Wood on bass... Ms Byrne's selections of slow, medium and up-tempo numbers displayed her ability to be comfortable in any tempo. She has a very relaxed, laid-back style but at the same time she can scat-sing with the best of them. She earns kudos as one of the finest jazz singers in the country. Her voice,throaty and breathy is reminiscent of Peggy Lee, even appearance-wise. On stage, Donna comes across sveltte, lithe and sultry. " -- Bernard Lightman, Boca Raton, February 2001
"Graced with excellent diction, a unique and very entertaining approach to lyrics, and a clear, crystalline, jazzy voice, Donna Byrne is a talented singer, and should be far better known than she is now." -- Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
"Donna, like most of my favorite singers, is not overly dramatic. I love working with her, even though it means I have to read music.'' -- Dave McKenna
"Byrne brings to each of them a freshness and style that's a joy to listen to and, for a musician, a pleasure to share the performance with her. . . . Her sensitivity to the picture lyrics are conveying and her impeccable phrasing coupled with bass player (and Byrne's husband) Marshall Wood's arrangements that accent the most favorable features of her vocal qualities, help make the album (It Was Me) an auspicious event. -- Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
"So who wants fireworks for the millennium? When Donna Byrne sings, the old-fashioned virtues of warmth, subtlety, charm, and impeccable taste far outshine the vocal pyrotechnics of flashier, more melodramatic singers." -- James Isaacs, Boston Magazine, December 1999
"Anyone who sings jazz as well as Boston's Donna Byrne deserves to be better known and more frequently recorded than she is . . . Donna Byrne has demonstrated that she is as good as any singer working in jazz today. Michael Colby, 52nd Street Jazz
"Peoples! Heads up! Pay Attention! This is one fine Jazz Vocalist!! From her rapturous readings of "September Song" and "All the Way" to the lighter than air effect she achieves by alternately floating over the rhythm section or jumping in (Lover/Friends) fully engaged, she covers the vocal bases with stylish authority. And one must not overlook the rarely sung verse to "Lover" which makes Byrne's reading as definitive as it needs to be. " -- Alan Bargebuhr, Cadence, April 1999
"Donna Byrne is one of those singers who's at home with virtually any style, while staying loyal to the superior standards. She applies her long experience to her well-developed vocal equipment and comes up with always-interesting interpretations." -- Dick Neeld, Jersey Jazz, 1999
Donna, a jazz vocalist at the top of her game, displays her extraordinary sense of melody, lyric, and improvisation. -- Quarter Notes, August 1997
"Byrne is an assertive singer. She doesn't coo and croon her way through a song, she jumps right in and makes it her own. . . . She displays an ability to speak to the emotional core of a lyric without resorting to vocal hair-tearing and histrionics . . ." -- Michael Colby, 52nd Street Jazz
"Donna Byrne (is) one of the best singers currently on the scene, one who approaches her lyrics with both intelligence and swinging time, and without distorting syllabic emphasis or resorting to stagy histrionics to get her meaning across." -- Jazz Times, November 1997
"Donna Byrne has everything a good singer needs . . . the voice, the control, the comprehension. What puts her in the top rank are such subjective elements as temperament and savvy. . . . She travels comfortably through a wide vocal range, with phrasing and inflection that extract all the meaning from the lyrics." -- Jersey Jazz, October 1994.
"If classic American song survives into the next century it will be thanks to singers like Byrne, who understand and practice the subtle art of gently taking a song and making it float a few inches off the ground." -- Dave Gelly
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