Stardust

Natalie Cole ~ Stardust

If Natalie Cole didn't have a famous father, would anyone listen to her stylish but safe renditions of 40-year-old standards? Well, the devotees of the genre would, for Cole has a light, satiny voice with marvelous fluidity. What she doesn't have is much of a bottom range or a hard edge, and she lacks the boldness to radically alter famous songs. Stardust, returns to the proven formula of 1991's Unforgettable, which sold 9 million copies and won seven Grammies. Once again, the engineers create a vocal duet between the dead father and the ambitious daughter, this time on "When I Fall in Love," and even splice Nat's 1961 organ solo on "Let's Face the Music and Dance" into Natalie's 1996 version. --Geoffrey Himes