As a long-time fan of the Miss America Pageant (and any pageant, for that matter), I vividly remember seeing Ms. Harman win the 2002 crown. What I most remember was her amazing talent presentation. It is no secret that the majority of Miss America contestants are minimally talented at best. Not so with Ms. Harman. When she performed, I was mesmerized. Not only did she sing beautifully, but she ACTED the part (she sang the aria "O Mio Babbino Caro" from the opera GIANNI SCHICCHI; the best way to describe the aria is a temper tantrum thrown by a petulant child). The second thing I remember about her was that resembled the beautiful actress Jenna Elfman. I was sure she was going to win, and lo and behold, she did.
With SOUL OF LOVE, her freshman recording, Ms. Harman has only improved as she's grown a little older. It comes as no surprise that she is the most riveting with the new rendition of "O Mio Babbino Caro." The orchestrations are beautiful, and for the most part serve to frame her beautiful voice. My only complaint is that she seems to be holding back a little bit, perhaps paying too much attention to the technical aspect of classical singing instead of supporting it with the incredible emotional depth we saw at the Miss America pageant.
I look forward to future recordings by this young bright new star.