Tonia Tecce (http://www.toniatecce.com) has all the qualities of a opera heavyweight, blessed with an angelic soprano gorgeous enough to make birds weep. Listening to her album, "What a Wonderful World," your focus aims immediately to her voice. And what an object of affection it is. On "Falling in Love With Love" and "Over the Rainbow," Tecce's vocals are so dreamy it'll make you feel like you're floating above the Earth.
Tecce's voice often transcends the fact that several of these songs have been covered endlessly. Combining the technical sharpness of a veteran opera singer with the vibrant personality of a Broadway star, Tecce simply glows with this material. She almost doesn't need the elaborate layers of strings behind her; her voice alone could carry the show. Tecce's version of "Ave Maria" nearly left me in tears; it is mesmerizing, her singing fueled by a higher power as it punches through the wall between artist and listener. You can hear her vocals in your heart.
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And there's the title cut itself, which is given a dizzyingly rapturous and cinematic treatment here. What a wonderful way to end a wonderful record.
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