The Idea of North is Andrew Piper, bass, Trish Delaney-Brown, soprano, Meg Corson, alto, and Nick Begbie, tenor, who bring more of their tight, bright, jazzy sound to "The Sum of Us," their second CD. The 11 tracks include: "My Foolish Heart," "Straight To My Heart," "Man In The Mirror," "It's Alright With Me," "Mas Que Nada," "Neat Surprise," "Singin' A Cappella," "Gotta Move On," "Two Sides To The Story," "Fragile" and "Abide With Me." There are guest artists, James Morrison on Trombone on "Mas Que Nada," and "Fragile," the only two very lightly accompanied songs. This is an impressive, confident CD, reminiscent of the Real Group, and all the tunes are so beautifully arranged, selected and performed, it's hard to pick favorites­so we just sat back and enjoyed the sweet jazzy ride. The full color, beautifully photographed liner notes are a perfect complement to the music. Recommended!

Listen to Straight to My Heart in RealAudio.