播放的第一秒，这张专辑便能牢牢地抓住人们的心。连一向吝惜赞美之词的英国人也在媒体上对这张专辑大家夸赞。苏格兰和加拿大血统的爵士女歌手Alison Burns有着精致、温润且醇厚的嗓音，在她的第二张专辑《1：AM》中这些特点表现得尤为突出。听Burns的演唱，处处透着她对歌曲表现的自信与自然，细腻而不做作，轻盈或诙谐的同时又不失庄重。将这些都平衡得如此完美的人，在如今的爵士音乐界并不常见。为整张专辑更增添色彩的是Martin Taylor的吉他伴奏，Martin Taylor作为当今爵士吉他届的知名艺术家也经常进行个人演出，他在专辑中也有为数不多的几小段独奏，但更多时候则担负“衬托花朵”的角色。从他自如、甚至显得漫不经心的演奏中，我们看到的是两人间的那一份默契。从选歌上来看，Alison Burns的专辑也颇为讨巧，专辑中除了一两首她自己创作的歌曲，剩下大多是人们耳熟能详的经典爵士曲目。一方面，人们对这张专辑的接受度大大提高；另一方面，Burns无形中向所有的人都证明了自己的演唱实力：她确实有让这些老歌散发新光彩的本领。 by Ken Dryden Alison Burns' debut CD on guitarist Martin Taylor's P3 Music label proved to be a striking session for the vocalist, an expressive alto who seemed to find new routes to songs of widely different styles. 1 AM is the brilliant follow-up album, though this time it is just Burns and Taylor performing 14 superb duets. Unlike many better-known vocalists, Burns builds upon the strengths of each piece without trying to totally discard the melody and show off, while Taylor is the consummate partner, providing lush accompaniment and intricate fills between lines without intruding upon the singer. While there are rewarding interpretations of standards like the sensitive "Sophisticated Lady" and a warm "How Long Has This Been Going On," it is Burns' exploration of forgotten gems and newer pop songs that leaves the most lasting impressions. The playful, lighthearted rendition of Peggy Lee's "Here's a Tramp," the loping, bluesy setting of Hub Atwood's "No One Ever Tells You," and the spacious, heartfelt performance of Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic" are all stunning. An added bonus is the beautiful original ballad "True," penned by Burns and Taylor. Alison Burns is married to James Taylor, the executive producer and the guitarist's son, so hopefully this enjoyable family gathering in the studio will become a regular part of their lives, as well as those of jazz fans.