Maureen’s “superb pharasing” and “pristine voice” compliment these timeless great American standards. From Gerswin, Porter and Kern to Berlin, Bart and Hammerstein.
— Cabaret Scenes Magazine“Casseroles are great things. You can mix a bunch of different ingredients together and come up with a creation that is both satisfying and filling. And that’s what Chicago native Maureen Christine dishes up on her second recording. It’s comfort food of the music kind, enjoyable and tasty, something you take pleasure in with each new bite.
Like the best of chefs, Christine knows how to add a special ingredient to her recipe, and on The Very Thought of You that dash of seasoning comes from her willingness to close the cookbook and decide for herself just what will make each course special. Don’t put a fast boil on Listen to My Heart like most do, slow it to a simmer and let the enticement of its rich bouquet draw you in. Want the customers to tell their friends about a must-taste delight? Serve them a lush swirl of Something Wonderful/As Long As He Needs Me, with all the bitterness removed. And for desert? Ply them with a warmed slice of For All We Know dusted with a sweet covering of They Can’t Take That Away From Me.
Some chefs try dishes that just don’t turn out the way they planned, and Climb Every Mountain could have been left on the on the cutting board. But the bubbly served up in Sunny Side of the Street whets the palate for the album’s pièce de résistance, the diet-busting sumptuousness of the title track.
The Joy of Cooking? The joy of music is what Christine dishes up. (HHH)”
— David Nathan’s review for All Music Guide – Rating: 4 Stars“The Very Though Of You” is the second album for Chicago cabaret singer Maureen Christine is a notable step forward from her first release, not that there was anything technically or stylistically wrong with the vocalizing on the first CD. The problem was the play list and arrangements which were pretty much limited to sad songs done in a torpid tempo. Christine has added rays of sunshine to the repertoire of this CD bringing with it a welcome balance. The medley of “Blue Skies”/”Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” “zips” along at a high-stepping pace with Jim Massoth’s sax leading the way. Even on the slower material, still Christine’s bread and butter, there seems to be renewed vigor. “Embraceable You” finds the singer with strings with the middle register clarinet of Steve Leinheiser providing a strong base for the singer to rest on. This is a pleasant arrangement of a classic standard. Like many of her cabaret peers, Christine seems swayed by the songs of Barry Manilow, here represented by “All the Time” sung with obvious feeling. On “Climb Every Mountain”, Christine displays a wide range, reaching the high notes without strain or screech. Of all the tracks on this very fine collection of songs, “Listen to My Heart” captures the heart and soul of cabaret, visualize a pretty tune with a story to tell sung by a natural story teller with a natural melodious, expressive voice. Scott Metlica’s flute adds a good deal to this track. Much of the credit for this release should go to musical handyman Bobby Schiff who helped with the arrangements, played piano on several of the tracks and, as string orchestrator, was responsible for assuring that the string stay jaunty not drifting off into dreariness. This is a fine second outing which is highly recommended.”
— Lesley Alexander – Whitney Radio“Jazz flourishes add a nice touch to “Embraceable You” and the song selection is appealing. Maureen Christine’s new CD, The Very Thought Of You, offers pleasant interpretations of standards along with two of her own compositions – one of which, “One Heart Broken” is suitably torchy and melodic.”
Maureen Christine is an award-winning vocalist who has enchanted audiences from Chicago to Europe with a voice "crystal clear, not a note or syllable wasted" (Bruce Kalver - Nostalgia Times Radio.) She has headlined at concert halls, cabaret and jazz…