by Scott Yanow
The Dutch orchestra Boulevard of Broken Dreams is comprised of four singers, four horns, four violins and a four-piece rhythm section. They live up to their CD's title by performing a dozen standards (most of them written during the Depression years) with irony and (helped out by their Dutch accents) an air of decadence. The dance music fits into the style of the era yet there are many surprising touches (such as a medium-tempo romp on "I Get Along Without You Very Well"); such songs as "Detour Ahead," "I Cover the Waterfront," "A Cottage for Sale" and "It's the Talk of the Town" benefit from the fresh treatments. This very interesting music has been made available domestically through the English Hannibal label.