The soundtrack features the vocal performances of Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger, Queen Latifah, Richard Gere, and John C. Reilly. The opening number, "And All That Jazz" is performed by Catherine Zeta-Jones, portraying Velma Kelly. A piano hurriedly draws you from the streets of the city to a lounge, Velma's sultry voice welcomes you. The energy crescendos expressed by the piano and the trumpet; bass drum beats match Velma's strut in front of her audience as the trumpets expose the sexual energy of the piece. Zeta-Jones's performance brings to life her arrogant confidence.

Leaving Miss Kelly, we follow Renee Zellweger performing as Roxie Hart. Roxie heads home with her lover, who after a violent break up results in Miss Hart shooting her lover. As the police arrive, Roxie sings an ode to her husband Amos. "Funny Honey" lets her voice drips with innocence and love, making Roxie appear fragile in need of protection. As Amos turns on Roxie, bitterness and anger creep into the music as she grits out the lyrics and stomps her feet with each line. The track ends leaving Roxie's innocence shattered by her anger.

Roxie is taken to jail, where Velma Kelly waits arrested for her sister and husband's murder. A drum roll escort introduces, Roxie to her warden, Mama Morton. Queen Latifah is a perfect fit for Mama Morton as she begins "When You're Good to Mama." Corruption is found in the lyrics, as the Queen states "this hand, washes that one" and "when you put out for Mama, she'll put out for you!". Queen Latifah's performance brings to life her characters power and position and wavering morality. Of all the performance on the screen and the album, Queen Latifah's stands out. It is a testament to her talents that have allowed her to have a long fruitful career.

Chicago 's female leads spends a large chunk of the film in jail, at this point the film's lead actor Richard Gere arrives to save them as Billy Flynn. Introduced as the "silver-tongued prince of the courtroom," Gere's vocal range is minimal, but in his character stands out in his numbers: "All I care about is Love," "We Both Reached for the Gun," and "Razzle Dazzle." He converts the reporters and the courtroom to his point of view through these musical numbers, portraying himself as a puppet master.

The story of Chicago is captured in the music and these selected tracks help bring their characters to life. The music is Ragtime Jazz, and is designed to perfectly fit the mood, movements, and songs of the cast. Velma's music possesses her raw attraction, Roxie's music features her youthful, self-centered desires, Billy's creates a veil of his true nature, and Mama expresses her willing abuse of her position and power.

In an effort to improve the value of this review, a three star rating system has been developed. Three stars represent a purchase worth every dollar you spend, two stars represent a CD to consider, and one star makes it a CD for the hardcore fans. Chicago garners a one star, despite its brilliance, because in order to understand the tracks, you do have to see the movie or stage performance in order to appreciate it. After seeing the movie, I found myself needing the CD, but I would not recommend buying this CD on buzz word alone.

Brad DeMaagd was born in Sacramento, California in 1976. Mr. DeMaagd currently lives in Michigan, but is planning a move to Oregon in the late spring. Mr. DeMaagd attended Michigan State University where he majored in English, with minor studies in Economics and History. Mr. DeMaagd continues to pursue his goal of becoming an Acquisitions Editor at a publishing house. His past times include watching David Lynch films, NFL football, working on his stories, and reading an ever growing stack of books.