"STRAIGHT UP WITH A TWIST" is Kristine W 6th album a double disc and also her first attemp at releasing a full jazz and chill out album, latin jazz and bosa nova influenced simply amazing. this album proves that Kristine W's life span in show business will be very long, also that she is very comfortable singing any style of music,she has been and will always be a performer without limits, her chops are powerful. she can use her voice in low and high range.and she's a fantastic scat vocalist... as well Straight up with a Twist, in prodution for 4 years it was truley worth the wait, reimagining her popular dance hits songs that added extra sweat to the dance floor, are now being served chilled with much more.Straight with a Twist will introduce Kristine W to whole new audience. her version of Donna Summers" on the radio" is outstanding.

stand out tracks are:" stairway to heaven" ," on the radio" " some lovin" ,"first time ever i saw your face" , "who knows" ," window to your world "

" take it to the limit" , "stronger", and "feel what you want"

Although disc one of Straight Up With A Twist is primarily being marketed as the meat of this album, I found disc two to be far more compelling because it appeals to my nocturnal sensibilities with its rich textures and dreamy atmospheric landscapes.

Stand out tracks are as follows:

Wonder Of It All (Emoticon Remix) which has an overall tone of hopefulness to it when compared to the somber version found on the Fly Again album.

River Divides (Emoticon Remix) is beautiful as ever with the inclusion of the lyrics "race and religion still divide" at the end.

Window To Your World (Emoticon Remix) has a mesmerizing vocal introduction which reminds me of Let Love Reign found on the Stronger album. This version has given me a new appreciation for this overlooked track from the Power Of Music album.

Meet Again (Emoticon Remix) completely takes the uplifting version found on the Power Of Music album and emphasizes its bittersweetness which somehow escaped me in its original form.

On The Radio (Emoticon Remix) - I am wondering what Donna Summer feels about this unique remake with the absence of Disco elements.

Who Knows (Emoticon Remix) and (surprisingly enough the Jazz mix as well!) is heartbreaking.

Both Some Lovin' (Emoticon Remix) and Feel What You Want (Emoticon Remix) are very soothing without any dance/club elements overshadowing Kristine's soulful voice and lyrics.

Kristine W wow, she has transformed all her hits from disco dance to Jazz on one CD and on the other chillout versions.

They actually sound fantastic I never thought I would be listening to Kristine W in this way.

I recomend this CD to everyone out there who likes a bit of chillout music or Jazz as there is two cd's that come with this album.

This album was a project long overdue... but definitely worth the wait.

Straight Up: Personal favorites are the new versions of 'Stronger', 'The Wonder Of It All' and 'Feel What You Want' (altough I liked the arrangement of the instrumental version much better that the vocal version). I'm absolutely in love with the 'River Divides' and Kristine's rendition of 'Stairway To Heaven'. What I missed was a new version of 'Land of the Living'. If any one of Kristine's songs screams Jazz... than I always think of this one.

With A Twist: The remix cd. I was hoping for some really different takes on these songs... but I can't say I was impressed with these mixes. Nothing stands out. I was expecting something along the lines like Kruder & Dorfmeister, Kraak & Smaak, etc. So... this cd is a nice bonus... but if it was a standalone... I would not have bought it.

But for the price of this package one can hardly argue. The first cd is worth every dollar.