The Canadian mezzo-soprano JEAN STILWELL has made a name for herself, with the role of CARMEN. Her steamy, sultry and sexy portrayal of the tragic heroine of BIZET’s opera has wowed audiences around the world.

But JEAN is equally at home on the cabaret stage, with a wooden stool and a piano. She’s recently written a new stage show with pianist PATTI LOACH called CARMEN UNZIPPED.

It’s a mix of her strengths – from musical theatre to cabaret songs, to opera and jazz standards. And tied in with the new stage show is her new CD, also called CARMEN UNZIPPED.

JEAN STILWELL has a rich, burgundy-coloured mezzo-soprano that’s even and consistent through the range.

If you’re a cabaret singer, you’ve got to be understood, so diction and clarity are always strong.

And she’s famous for her ability to communicate and express through a variety of musical styles.

She and PATTI LOACH work well together, and I liked the mix of material here – from opera to jazz and Broadway, to those new songs by New Yorker JOHN BUCCHINO.

I wished that song texts had been included, though.

The jacket notes are limited.

There’s a paragraph on JEAN STILWELL’s tattoos and their history.

It was interesting, but I also wanted song texts.

Four stars."

Rick Phillips, CBC, Saturday March 3, 2007