My First Audra CD
This was my first Audra McDonald CD. I did like it enough that I would buy one of her other CDs in the future. But this CD wasn't the greatest.

I first saw Audra in The; "My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies" TV Special. And I absolutely loved her rendition of "Down With Love" in the special. Which is what inspired me to go onto Amazon and buy this CD. But at first when I browsing her CDs, I first listened to samples of her CD: "Build A Bridge" which I tend to find boring, due to the songs seem slow. So then when I saw that she had a CD called "Happy Songs", I figured that it would be filled with fast songs.

It was onto my astonishment that most of these songs seem to be slow, and depressing. I now after listening to the CD am wondering why anybody would name this CD Happy Songs? The only songs I really would consider to belong on this album are: "Ain't It Da Truth", "I Wish I Were In Love Again", "I Double Dare You", and "Lose That Long Face". The rest I don't understand why they are on this CD.

Happy, happy, oh so happy
This is a perfectly titled selection of songs sung by the wonderful Audra. As always she brings an incredible warmth and joy to her singing and that comes through in every song. A CD just right for a cold winter's day (add a mug of hot chocolate) or a hot summer's celebration (with a chilled glass of wine). Beautiful.

Happy Songs by Audra McDonald
This is a fantastic album. The songs are great, and the vocalist the BEST!

So sad
Her first album was beyond brilliant. The second showed great depth. Her third suggests she needs better management.

Lose That Long Face!
When I first got this album, way back in 2002, I wasn't crazy about it. Composer-wise, it didn't focus on bright young things -- Guettel et al. -- like Audra's previous efforts. The period productions seemed to get in the way of this singer's full spontaneity.

But I heard it again this morning (Summer 2005, or The Year of Our Harold 100) and it knocked me out!! What great songs, what wonderful treatments, by Ted Sperling, Don Sebesky, and others, and above all what a great singer! Perfect cure for loss of faith in humankind, or at least singer-kind.

Thank you Audra. You are Definitely the best.