The Disney Album

EDITORIAL REVIEWS .COM This is a love letter to that special pop song genre cultivated in Disney films (and in some cases, musicals). Instead of the chestnuts from Disney's classic canon, Michael Crawford has chosen a program of contemporary Disney creations (except for the vintage "Baby Mine" from Dumbo), but these are destined to become evergreens in their own right. For starters, the magical combination of melody, atmosphere, and gentle lyrics showcases the Disney folks' uncanny ability to patch together sensational creative teams, drawing on such diverse artists as Alan Menken, Elton John, Randy Newman, and Phil Collins. And Crawford's mellow tenor, with its hint of Peter Pan innocence, is well suited to these expressions of joy and love, which include a memorable duet on "If I Never Knew You" (from Pocahontas) with Sherie Ren Scott. The production is lush and polished, but the length, a mere 40 minutes, is disappointingly skimpy. --Sarah Chin