Cheryl Bentyne

The album The Book Of Love opens with jazz vocalist Cheryl Bentyne's smooth creamy vocals seductively cooing;

“You don’t know the one that dreams of you at night

And longs to kiss your lips, longs to hold you tight

To you I’m just a friend

That’s all I’ve ever been

But you don't know me."

During the month of November Bentyne and her label Telarc Records are releasing the CD The Book of Love and if you enjoy love songs that conjure up images of past loves, a current heartthrob or wistful thinking of someone you have a crush on then you will—dare we say it, love this album.

“It (The Book of Love) starts very innocently like a little child’s first day at school. The sun is coming up, it is a bright spring morning and it is a little crisp. It then becomes bright, red and vivid in the middle, totally alive. It starts to take on a colder icier, thunderous type of a mood (later on). It ends up with some hope at the end. Even though the relationship is over life goes on,” says Bentyne in describing the album’s progression through the many moods of love.

Bentyne says, “The first song really was about my first love. I wanted to keep it very innocent and we kept the song (“You Don’t Know Me”) simple. I thought of it as a very naïve innocent first love.”

The Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker tune “You Don’t Know Me” first surfaced in the mid fifties as a pretty country tune but resurfaces on The Book of Love with the velvety lush jazz arrangements of Corey Allen (Bentyne’s husband, producer and arranger). Bentyne says of the tune, “That came strictly from Corey. He (Corey) was so inspired to write this beautiful string chart that I hadn’t heard. I (had only) heard him play (the song) on the piano and I would sing along with that. Magic happened for me when I heard his string chart and then went into the studio to sing it. (“You Don’t Know Me”) was just so moving to me. I listened to Corey on that one.”

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