Search - Aselin Debison - Sweet is the Melody in Concert on DVD

Plain and simple.

Jim Allan | Toronto, ON Canada | 01/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An excellently conceived and produced DVD of a pleasant evening concert on an open ocean-side stage before a small crowd of Glace Bay residents.There is a wonderful backup orchestra.Intercut before each song are bits of interviews with Aselin or others who know her or are involved with her career, not too much of this, just enough to give a little background both about Aselin and about her home town of Glace Bay. Sometimes various visuals of Glace Bay or Aselin romping about are inserted during the singing.But the concert is central.Aselin sings exactly the same songs as on her CD "Sweet is the Melody" with arrangements mostly identical or very close.But her mentor Bruce Guthro joins her in a duet for "The Dance You Choose" and there is an additional small children's choir on "Rise Again" and "The Island'.Much is made of Aselin's young age in the interview clips and comments, but it of no matter when she performs. She holds the stage confidently and easily and naturally and gently and profesionally without childish cuteness or childish mannerisms, sometimes exchanging appreciative smiles with the backup musicians during bridges There is no need to make allowances of any kind for her age or the way she sings.Clear-voiced, natural, folk-edged singing with sometimes more than a hint of blues is what she provides, and she provides it in a unique style.A sentimental highlight are the shots of her father in the audience openly in tears as his 12-year old daughter in her first full concert sings "Love So Rare", a song about her love for her father and her appreciation of his love for her. This sounds exploitive, but doesn't come off that way at all."