While countless fans flock to see soprano Renee Fleming"s performances of the Countess in <I>The Marriage of Figaro</I> because she"s got the voice and the dramatic ability to handle such meaty roles+ the versatile singer throws her fans a curveball on <I>Haunted Heart</I>+ singing popular standards and ballads as well as a few altered classical pieces. In her liner notes+ Fleming calls this album a "look back at the road not taken" -- she played a weekly gig in a jazz club while in school. Nonetheless+ her feel for the material here is undeniable. Interestingly+ she drops her voice a full octave from her usual tessitura+ and the change reveals a robust gospel-oriented approach filled with dramatic breaths and moans. The lyrical Fred Hersch (piano) and the idiosyncratic Bill Frisell (guitar) provide support+ and both are adventurous jazz players who create subtle and uniquely haunting backdrops. It adds up to an interesting cross-section of ideas well carried off by the generous talents of all involved. --<I>Tad Hendrickson</I> <p clear="left"><p> <p> <B>Interview with Renee Fleming</B> <br><img border="0" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/artists/fleming-renee.t.jpg" align="left"> Renee Fleming speaks about recent projects+ including her memoir <I>The Inner Voice</I> and her recent Handel CD+ in our interview.