As a young singer, Goodman received her first break as a warm up vocalist for Roberta Flack. She also received attention by writing "You Can Make the Story Right" for Chaka Khan's The Woman I Am album.  Her growing reputation opened the door for her to record two early 90s jazz vocal CDs on the Verve label with a number of great jazz musicians including Gary Bartz and Kevin Eubanks.  Both albums were critically acclaimed and had minor success in Europe , but didn't fare well Stateside. She spent most of the 90s providing guest vocal support for a number of jazz artists, including Norman Connors and Lonnie Liston Smith, and backing vocals for soul stars such as Flack, Khan and Freddie Jackson.

After a long hiatus from recording, Goodman has now released Angel Eyes on her own Goodness Music label, which is being distributed in the US via CD Baby.  While not the major label release that her early 90s albums were, Angel Eyes nonetheless includes a number of high quality musicians, including saxophonist Walter Beasley.

Those looking for the third part of the Trilogy arising from Goodman's earlier recordings will be somewhat surprised by Angel Eyes.  After leading off with the Latin sound of "Brazilian Nights" and a jazzy cover of the standard "Angel Eyes," the album moves in to contemporary Urban Adult Contemporary territory, and does it very effectively.  While bearing a gorgeous voice that mixes elements of Khan, Minnie Ripperton, Patti Austin and Stephanie Mills (all pretty good company), Goodman's strongest suit may be her interpretive skills, making even oft-covered songs new and distinctive.  This is particularly evident on the album's most surprising cut, an upbeat jazzy dance cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like An Eagle" that blows the original away and immediately becomes the definitive version of that song.  UAC and Smooth Jazz radio should pick up on this cut; it is dynamite.

Much of the rest of Angel consists of self-penned ballads and midtempos - all solid.  "I'll Remember You" sounds like a great Stephanie Mills ballad, and Goodman wrings the emotion of the words beautifully.  Just as good is her playful tease on the smooth jazzy "Come Home," and her version of the Patti Austin-like ballad "Sometimes."  Fact is, Goodman's performance is consistently excellent throughout Angel Eyes.  And the disc is another in a seeming rush of well played, well sung soul/jazz albums for adults that have been released over the past several months, and is near the top of my early list of 2004 favorites.

By Chris Rizik