cd review DAVID CAMPBELL SINGS JOHN BUCCHINO

Australian singer and actor David Campbell burst onto the New York City cabaret scene around 1997, releasing two solo cds back to back, performing at the infamous club Rainbow and Stars and followed this with roles in the City Center Encores production of Babes in Arms and the Off Broadway premiere of Stephen Sondheim's Saturday Night.

I've posted my review of one of his recordings "On Broadway" before but of note is that on one of his first cds, "Taking the Wheel" he recorded some songs by another up and coming performer at that time, the composer John Bucchino.  While Bucchino has had success as a composer of musicals, including making it to Broadway with his score for A Catered Affair in 2008, his songs have been a staple of cabaret singers for over twenty years now.  Bucchino also wrote the songs for the animated film Joseph: King of Dreams and Campbell provided the singing voice for the title character.  So these two men have formed a friendship that has lasted for close to twenty years, and it's nice that they have finally come together to record an entire album of Campbell singing Bucchino songs.  The title of the album? - a fitting David Campbell Sings John Bucchino.

Bucchino's lyrics tell stories or express emotions in a succinct way with well crafted words and rich imagery and his music never overclouds the lyrics, somehow equally serving them and elevating them so each of his songs becomes something greater than just the sum of the music and lyrics alone.  His songs are so good that it's understandable why they have been performed and recorded by many Broadway and cabaret A-listers.  In fact two of his songs, "Grateful" and "Sweet Dreams" - both present on this recording - have become concert staples for Brian Stokes Mitchell and Barbara Cook.  Campbell's warm, strong voice and clear diction not only shows off his range and musical skill but naturally gets to the emotion and feeling beneath Bucchino's lyrics.  Bucchino plays the piano for all of the tracks and is naturally adept at delivering superb renditions of each of his songs.

The cd begins with the simple playing of a few notes on the piano from Bucchino of the deeply emotional song "Sweet Dreams" that tells the story of a kept gay man and a battered woman who meet in a bus station and discover they are both trying to run away from their pasts, only to find that the dreams they have of a sweeter life are elusive. Campbell's vocals, especially his heartfelt delivery of the lyrics "run away to another skin, a tough one, a pretty one, that won't let the sadness in, won't let the madness win" is wrenching.

"Something Spontaneous" has some witty lyric work from Bucchino in this fairly simple yet winning song about people being too serious, planned and structured to not allow any chance at humor or spontaneity.  Campbell has no problem in navigating around the tricky lyrics, including my favorite "we'll have a talk about how we talk about how we talk too much."  "Unexpressed" - a song I first heard when Patti LuPone sang it in the late 90's - finds Campbell's rich vocals serving the lyrics about someone who has so much love, yet no one to give it to, with Campbell getting the nuance out of every one of Bucchino's lyrics.

The upbeat "Puddle of Love" nicely breaks up the heavier ballads that come before it on the cd.  Campbell's solo from Joseph: King of Dreams, "Better Than I" is a powerful soul searching song about a man at a crossroads, but knowing that someone is watching over him, with the simple yet superb lyric "If I let you reach me, will you teach me?"  "Learn How to Say Goodbye" is another song with intricate driving lyrics from Bucchino that Campbell expertly delivers.  Campbell's last sustained note is impressive.

Campbell does justice to "It Feels Like Home" - a song the late singer Nancy Lamott recorded in a superb version back in the 90's of two people in love at the beginning of a relationship that some people think wrong but find the feeling of home in the simplest of things.  Campbell's voice has a nice gritty feel on the bluesy "What You Need, " a song about loners who find that together they might be able to make it.  "If I Ever Say I'm Over You" is a fairly simple song but one with well crafted lyrics from Bucchino about s person not being able to get over someone, even though they try to say they are.

The cd ends with two songs that Campbell recorded before, back in 1997 on one of his first recordings.  And while it might seem odd to record songs that he recorded before, hearing the same songs sung almost twenty years apart, with all of the life experiences that Campbell has learned over the years, makes them very effective.  While the bouncy "Taking the Wheel" gets a nice retread it is the final song on the cd "Grateful", which interestingly enough was the first track on Campbell's "Taking the Wheel" cd, but works much better as a closing track, since it is a summation of what Campbell and Bucchino feel.  "Grateful" is a nice and fitting end to the cd with lyrics such as "but giving thanks for what I've got makes me so much happier than keeping score" with Campbell instilling each word with truth that shows how truly talented and blessed both Campell and Bucchino are.

My only complaint?  The cd only includes 11 of Bucchino's incredible songs.   Hopefully there will be a "David Campbell Sings John Bucchino - Volume II."

Commercial for the cd:

"Better Than I" from Joseph: King of Dreams -

"What You Need" -

cd review THE MIDTOWN MEN - "Sixties Hits"

As cover albums go you could do a lot worse than the one The Midtown Men recently released that is entirely composed of hit songs from the sixties.  It helps that the "men" are former co-stars from the original cast of Broadway's Jersey Boys, the smash hit musical that covers the rise and turbulent times behind Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and that every song has the same harmony inspired arrangements that the best of the Four Seasons songs had.  It also helps that the four men who make up the group spent plenty of time together originating their roles in that Broadway show and re-creating the harmonies that made The Four Season so successful.

The four men who make up The Midtown Men are Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and Daniel Reichard, three of the original leads in Jersey Boys along with Michael Longoria who was in the original cast in a smaller role and in the ensemble and later took over in the Frankie Valli role.  These four guys have spent a lot of time together ensuring that their harmonies are perfectly in tune and this recording shows off their polished voices in fine form. 

The songs selected for this cd are ones that are well suited to the vocal abilities of the four men.  While none of the songs will replace the original songs from the original artists, which include The Beatles, The Mamas and the Papas, Marvin Gaye, The Drifters, The Turtles and The Zombies, each one is a chance to re-visit the songs either you or your parents grew up listening to.

The joy the four have in singing these songs, songs that I can't imagine any of the four guys are old enough to have heard when they were first released, comes across very clearly on this cd.  I also like the fact that they trade off on who sings the melody, without one of them also singing lead on each of the songs, unlike most of the Four Seasons hits where Frankie Valli would sing the melody.  Some highlights: "Can't Buy Me Love" receives a lovely jazzy rendition with lilting harmonies that is a fresh update on The Beatles classic tune; "Happy Together" with its great arrangement and the guys expertly harmonizing and "Up on the Roof" with its lush yet gentle and driving arrangement.  I also like the guys take on "California Dreamin" though the harmonies for this song most closely match the ones on the original Mamas and Papas hit, instead of being created specifically for the Men like it seems most of the other tracks on the cd receive.  "Time of the Season" also more closely matches the original Zombies arrangement but is still perfectly matched for the harmonies these guys are capable of. 

While the upbeat songs are given a highly polished production there are still some quibbles, including that about half of the songs included here, beyond the ones I mentoned above, are Four Seaons hits that these guys performed in Jersey Boys and which you can hear three of the four "men" sing on the original cast recording of that show.  And, running just over 30 minutes, it would seem like the "Men" could have included other songs that they perform in their concerts to make the run time more in line with other vocal recordings.

The Midtown Men are currently in the middle of a national tour with dates in just about every city and state you can imagine.  A complete list of dates can be found on their website.

Official website of The Midtown Men

"Time of the Season"

"Happy Together"

cd review ALFIE BOE, "Alfie"

It's been awhile since there's been an artist who's successfully made the crossover from Classical music to Musical Theatre and Pop Stardom.  English Tenor Alfie Boe might just be the next performer to make that leap.  Though it is far too early to see if he will have the success that other crossover artists like The Three Tenors had, Boe, who doesn't have as extensive an opera background as those other famous three tenors had, does already have some impressive credits. 

Boe has appeared in several operas as well as alternated as "Rodolfo" in Baz Luhrmanns' 2002 Broadway production of La Boheme.  He and his fellow cast mates received a special Tony award for their appearance in that production and thousands of people saw his performance as Jean Valjean in the 25th Anniversary concert performance of Les Miserables.  That concert was released on dvd and cd as well as broadcast on PBS stations across the US.  His performance of Valjean received high marks and Boe also played the role for a stint in the London run of the show. 

His latest solo cd "Alfie" is making it's US debut today after premiering in the UK last Fall in a slightly different version.  This month also sees a concert dvd release from Boe that will also be aired on PBS Stations throughout June.

The cd features 14 tracks.  It is an interesting yet eclectic mix of songs featuring some standards, several show tunes and a couple of soft pop hits from the 70's.  Overall it is an enjoyable mix that will appeal to his Les Mis fans as well as those who've seen him in his opera, concert and tv appearances.  Some downsides of the cd relate to Boe's diction and wording. You would sometimes think that Boe wasn't English born with the way that some of the words sound.  In fact, many times he sounds as if he's Italian and English is his second language.  I'm not certain if that is due to his opera training or what.   And while it never detracts from the overall outcome of the cd, it is something that Boe should focus on to gain more mass acclaim.

The cd starts off with "When I Fall in Love" which features a softly stated delivery of this well known song.  Boe's "Maria" from West Side Story is a stirring rendition of the song with Boe hitting and holding the high notes to great effect.  He perfectly gets the joy and excitement of the lyrics and music of the song as well as lovingly finds the quiet, serious moments as well.

"When You Wish Upon a Star" from the movie Pinocchio starts off a little rocky but Boe manages to sell the song and delivers a lovely ending as well.  "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a song that will forever be associated with Roberta Flack but Boe manages to hold his own and the arrangement for the song adds a nice element of emotion that compliments Boe's delivery of the lyrics.

Boe's forceful rendition of "It Was A Very Good Year" makes this song one of the highlights of the recording. It also has an excellent arrangement that soars in the right places but is also soft and quiet exactly when needed.  The use of strings is lovely. Boe perfectly gets across the message of the song, especially the last verse when he's in "the autumn" of his years, which is interesting considering he isn't even 40. 

Stephen Sondheim's "Being Alive" from Company receives a different arrangement than we've usually heard on the many other recordings this song has received.  Boe excels at hitting the emotional moments of the song and delivers an excellent ending note as well.  Martina McBride's "In My Daughter's Eyes" is the most recent song on this recording.  Boe delivers a touching version of the song, no doubt due to the fact that Boe has a young daughter. 

The next track is "Music of the Night" from Phantom Of The Opera and for a song that has been recorded many times it is nice to hear a different arrangement from what we're used to hearing with the excellent addition of a choir at the end.  It is also nice to hear an "operatic" voice on this song which works perfectly since the musical is set in an opera house.  Based on this version of the song I can safely say that Boe would make an excellent "Phantom" and be a welcome addition to either the Broadway or London productions of the show.

The Gershwin classic "Someone to Watch Over Me" is the only song that Boe doesn't seem to quite get the meaning of.  It might just be that an operatic voice doesn't easily fit with the simple lyric structure and light romantic yearning touch required.  Boe seems to be hitting every beat and note exactly as required in the sheet music which is what detracts from the song. It is more of a "scripted" delivery of the song instead of a real and personable one.  Fortunately it is the only song like that on the cd. 

"Who Am I" from Les Miserables is a song that Boe has sung many times and he perfectly delivers the meaning of the lyrics a well as hitting the correct emotional notes required.  On "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime, Boe's voice fits perfectly with the lyrics and soars throughout.  It is nice that for this song the arrangement is very close to the original Broadway one.  Though this version features the perfect addition of a choir at the end.  "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables is probably the one song that more people have heard Boe sing than any other song.  He nails it.

The recording also features two duets.  Rock legend Robert Plant joins Alfie on Tim Buckley's 70's hit "Song to the Siren" and Plant's voice is a nice compliment to Boe's.  When the two of them sing together it truly compliments the lyrics and message of the song.  "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables features Boe with his Les Mis concert mate Nick Jonas on a lovely duet of the song.  Though Jonas is just a little stiff on the song, Boe's voice soars and when the two of them join together it is simply stirring.  On the UK release of the cd original "Marius" Michael Ball joined Boe on the duet.  I'm assuming the change to Jonas was to hopefully add an American name to the recording to stir some additional interest on this side of the Atlantic.

The UK release of the cd has a slightly different track order and also includes Boe singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as well as "Over the Hills and Far Away."  However the UK release doesn't include "Bring Him Home."  The cd features top notch technical skills throughout including some beautifully lush arrangements.  In fact, there isn't one arrangement that doesn't add to the song it is accompanying.

Boe may not be a household name just yet, but with this cd, his PBS concert set to air throughout June and an upcoming US tour in the Fall, he is doing what he needs to get his name and his voice out there.   This cd is a perfect addition to your cd library.

Alfie Boe's Official Web Site 

"Bring Him Home" from the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables :

"First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" -

"Music of the Night"

cd review ROBERT CREIGHTON, Ain't We Got Fun

Wow!  The new cd from Robert Creighton might just be the best debut recording from a Broadway performer in years.  And why I say that is not only due to Creighton's impressive vocal abilities, the song selections and the Broadway guest stars he has included but also because Creighton completely avoids all of the fall backs Broadway performers seem to lean on when releasing a debut recording.  There are no songs from Sondheim or Lloyd Webber, no story songs from some hip or up and coming composer and except for two original songs, the most recent selection was written in 1944.  This is definitely not your usual Broadway debut solo cd.

Now while Creighton isn't exactly a household or even an A list Broadway name, like his costars in his recent Broadway show Anything Goes Joel Grey and Sutton Foster, he has appeared in numerous Broadway shows including Chicago, The Little Mermaid,  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Lion King.  The two original songs on this cd are from a new musical about Jimmy Cagney that Creighton co-created, starred in and wrote the songs for, simply called Cagney!, but more on those songs later.

The cd starts off with a "Dad's Medley" that gives us the brief back story of Creighton and how as a young boy he would perform for his family.  A bouncy "Ain't We Got Fun" is next followed by one of the impressive new songs from Cagney!, "Crazy 'Bout You" that features some talented guitar playing by Eric B. Davis.  It fits perfectly within the other, older standards on the cd, which is a high compliment.  One of my favorite tracks on the recording is "My Buddy" that includes a lovely guitar arrangement that not only gives Davis another chance to shine but also is highlighted by the way Creighton's phrasing and his voice drives home the meaning of the lyrics in a simple, understated way.

The first of Creighton's guest stars is Tituss Burgess who starts off "Accentuate the Positive" with his usual flair.  Creighton joins in by adding a lovely counterpoint with "Look for the Silver Lining" that pairs perfectly with Burgess with both men hitting some impressive notes at the end.  A fun barbershop quarter arrangement of "I Want a Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad) with Daniel J. Edwards, John Treacy Egan, Merwin Foard and Brent-Alan Huffman includes some great harmonies backing Creighton up and has a really great finish. 

Now, back to those two original songs from Creighton and Cagney!:  The next track is my favorite song on the cd, called "Fallin' In Love With You."  It is a lovely duet with great lyrics, perfect musical phrasing and is supported by a lovely arrangement.  Creighton is joined by Kate Baldwin on this track and the two of them are definitely having a fun time together.  Cagney! had its world premiere in Florida three years ago and based on the two songs from the show on this cd I hope Creighton is able to get a production in New York happening soon.

"If You Were The Only Girl in the World" is my second favorite track on the recording.  It has a great arrangement and Creighton's vocals on this track are so impressive with his perfect delivery of the simple meaning behind the lyrics.  Heidi Blickenstaff joins in for a lively "You Are My Sunshine" that is followed by a touching and very emotional take on "I'll Be Seeing You" that features some impressive flugelhorn playing by Joe Burgstaller.

An impressive arrangement of "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" perfectly compliments Creighton's vocals.  I love how Creighton's whistling at the end of the song is mirrored by the instruments. Next up are two tracks closely associated with James Cagney when he portrayed George M. Cohan in the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy.  "Give My Regards to Broadway" features a lovely duet with Joel Grey and the joy the two men are having signing together comes through on the recording.  Creighton actually understudies for Grey in Anything Goes.  An upbeat "Yankee Doodle Dandy" follows including a lovely tap solo in the middle.

The final track on the cd is a lovely version of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" with no vocal but instead a touching trumpet solo.  While this might seem a little odd if you don't have the liner notes handy, but when checking them you will see that it is Creighton himself imitating a trumpet solo with his lips - and what a lovely solo it is.  The man seems like he can do just about anything.

The cd was produced by Georgia Stitt who also provided many of the arrangements as well as most of the piano accompaniment.   This is an impressive effort by Stitt.

I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing Cagney! and seeing and hearing more of Creighton in the future.

cd review- Olivia Newton John, Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song

Olivia Newton John was one of the biggest pop stars of the 70's and 80's.  She has had numerous hit songs, from her early hits "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "I Honestly Love You" to the hugely successful "Physical."  She starred in one of the biggest movie musicals of that time, Grease, as well as in one of the biggest movie musical flops, Xanadu.  And, even though Xanadu tanked at the box office, the soundtrack of that film spawned many hit singles including "Magic" and "Suddenly."

She has recorded many albums over the years and originated many songs.  So, the fact that Olivia made a cover album performing songs associated with other famous performers is somewhat of an oddity. This recording, Portraits: A Tribute to Great Women of Song, which was just released in the US, is actually a rerelease of her Aussie cd Indigo from 2004 which was produced by famous music producer Phil Ramone.  Offering a wide diversity of song styles, each of the songs on the album has a personal connection to Olivia from the song she sang at a talent contest to the one that taught her how to play the guitar.  And while the album is ballad heavy, the songs have different arrangements that let them stand apart from each other resulting in a varied collection of song styles.

Olivia is in very good voice throughout the recording.  As her voice has aged she has lost a bit of her high range but gained more depth on the lower notes.

The cd starts off with an extremely well paced cover of Astrud Gilberto's "How Insensitive" which is followed by the Doris Day hit "Love Me or Leave Me" which, while it has a somewhat undercooked arrangement including a strange organ part still finds Olivia in good form.  A sultry "Cry Me a River" made famous by Julie London is next, one of my personal favorites on this recording and that is followed by the Dionne Warwick hit "Anyone Who Had a Heart" which has a groovy arrangement.   Olivia knocks that one out of the park, no wonder that was the song that won her a talent contest.

Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" probably made most famous by Peter, Paul and Mary as well as by Joan Baez, has a beautiful and quiet guitar driven arrangement that is a perfect compliment to the message driven lyrics.  Olivia provides a beautiful and soft spoken delivery as well.  This is the song she learned to play the guitar with.  "How Glad I Am," made famous by Nancy Wilson, is probably the least known song on the recording but Olivia delivers it in a sexy and playful way.  The Minnie Riperton hit "Lovin' You" takes you back to the sounds of the 70's.  Even though Olivia fortunately doesn't attempt the most likely out of her range high pitched moments of that song, it is still a nice version.

Olivia's take on the Karen Carpenter classic "Rainy Days and Mondays" is probably the highlight of the recording and Olivia truly connects with the lyrics, even partially speaking some of them, and the arrangement never overshadows the lyrics and Olivia's delivery of them.  "Send in the Clowns," one of the two show tunes on the album, is another highlight, though from the somewhat understated approach Olivia gives to this song I'm not sure if she clearly grasps the meaning of the lyrics. 

"Summertime" is both a lullaby and a sexy, sultry romantic song delivered in a breathless style.  It has a nice arrangement as well.   The cd ends with "Alfie" and while it can't quite touch Dionne Warwick's classic version of the song, it has a lovely arrangement and Olivia delivers the lyrics in a beautiful way.

While Portraits may not deliver on every song it is still an enjoyable recording that includes some great songs in great lush arrangements sung by one of the greatest pop stars of the past 40 years.

Recommended

cd review Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway - "Boom! Live at Birdland"

There are some Broadway performers who are better in a musical production or on a recording than in live concert performances.  Either they don't have the appropriate "patter" between songs, or don't find a good way to present their songs to connect to a paying audience to hold their attention for a 60 to 90 minute show.   Two of the best musical theatre performers who know how to "do" live performances are sisters and Tony nominees Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway.  Their second duo cd, "Boom," a live recording of their concert of the same name, has just been released, and it is a winner.

Now technically Ann is more of a jazz performer than a musical theater one, but she did receive a Tony nom for her Broadway debut in Swing.   Liz was in the original Broadway casts of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, Baby and Miss Saigon as well as played many performances on Broadway as Grizabella in Cats.  She got her Tony nomination for Baby.  The Callaway sisters were born in the Chicago suburbs but both ended up in New York City in the early 80's and have each found success individually in the worlds of Broadway, Jazz, cabaret and concert performances.  Ann is also a successful song writer having written songs for many recording artists including Barbra Streisand as well as the theme song for the tv show The Nanny.

Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway

"Boom" presents songs of the 60's and 70's and the personal stories that Ann and Liz tell in this recorded concert about their upbringing and how these songs connected to them are great.  Liz has actually been down this road before, releasing a recording, "The Beat Goes On" that includes songs from that same period including a few that are repeated on this cd.

Ann and Liz's voices, while very different, combine perfectly on the numerous songs they perform.   Beautiful vocal arrangements highlight the differences in their voices while providing the appropriate blending necessary to provide a rich sound.  I like how many times one sister will provide back-up vocals for the other that in no way outshines the sister soloing.  The three piece band lead by musical director Alex Rybeck on piano provides a lush musical accompaniment that sounds much larger and full than just a piano, drums and bass.

The 22 tracks on the recording include many medleys and duets but also allow each sister a couple of solo moments to stand alone.  Some of the great songs on the cd include the Beatle's "Come Together" and "Yesterday," the Streisand hit "The Way We Were," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and several medleys including one that includes a rousing version of "Joy to the World."  A snazzy, slowed down arrangement of "These Boots are Made For Walking" that perfectly captures the strength of each sister's chops as well as the natural humor they each have is a personal favorite.  This is followed by a simply stunning and heartbreaking arrangement of Carly Simon's "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" that allows for some beautiful Callaway Sister harmonies.

Solo highlights on the cd include lovely versions of "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me," a pairing of Jimmy Webb songs "Didn't We/MacArthur Park" and a gorgeous blending of "I Know a Place" and "Downtown" for Liz and striking renditions of  "A Case of You," and "Blowin' in the Wind" for Ann.

An excellent medley of Stevie Wonder songs ends the set before a beautiful encore of the Carole King hit "You've Got a Friend," which is a perfect end to the personal story of two sisters who are clearly the best of friends.

All in all, this is a superb recording for anyone who grew up to the music of the 60's and 70's as well as anyone who is a fan of the music from those decades.

Highly recommended

Ann and Liz at Barnes and Noble - performance promoting the release of "Boom!" -

cd review - Dean Regan - Give My Regards to Broadway

Dean Regan may not be a name familiar to most Broadway audiences.  But as someone who appeared in the First National Tour of The Pirates of Penzance as well as in the Broadway production of that show, and then appeared in many regional and West Coast productions of musicals as well as in various cabaret engagements, he has more than enough experience to pull off a nice collection of showtunes.

His debut cd Give My Regards to Broadway is a representation of his concert of the same name that he has performed around the country.  The recording combines many classic Broadway standards by Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Frank Loesser, Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Stephen Schwartz.  Shows covered include Guys and Dolls, Finian's Rainbow, Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of Penzance, Man of La Mancha, South Pacific and Wicked.  The recording is a nice variety of material, featuring romantic ballads, heartfelt songs and comical tunes and Regan delivers them with conviction and depth and meets the demands on just about every song on the cd.  

For someone who made their Broadway debut 30 years ago, Regan's voice is extremely strong and youthful. Now, most solo recordings made by those who aren't Broadway "names" usually only feature piano accompaniment, but Regan has definitely made the right decision to have a group of musicians backing him up.  One of the great things about the tracks on the recording is that each song's arrangements don't sound like the others.  Some have more of a jazz sound, others are more in the Broadway standard arrangement style and still others have a Latin or comical tone.  The credit for that has to go to Orchestrator and Music Supervisor Nick Fryman who also provided many of the arrangements.  After listening to several other solo recordings from musical theatre performers that only feature piano or others where every song on the cd has a "jazz" or "broadway" style arrangement this is a welcome touch, and along with Regan's more than capable skills make this recording one that warrants alot of repeat play.

The recording starts off with a very upbeat version of "Give My Regards to Broadway"  I love how the arrangement adds in a few lines from "On Broadway,"  "Lullaby of Broadway," and  "New York, New York."  Regan's fun and lively performance perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the songs to follow.  You know you'll be in good hands based on this track alone.

"Luck Be a Lady" from Guys and Dolls has a great Latin feel to it, and Regan has a lot of fun, starting out nice and slow and then really building the song to a nice conclusion.  "Not a Day Goes By" is a fairly standard delivery of this classic Sondheim gem from Merrily We Roll Along but is delivered in a nice, somewhat understated though very clear way.

"Old Devil Moon" from Finian's Rainbow is one of my favorite showtunes and I absolutely love the arrangement by Tom Griep on this cd that includes beautiful piano playing and a pounding percussion beat.  Regan more than delivers on this track, he has a great time "swinging' it and the end is perfection.  "Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera has a lush, full arrangement and Regan does a nice job with it, enunciating the lyrics but giving a nice theatrical touch to the song as well.

"Everybody Says Don't" from Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle, is simply beautiful.  The way Regan is able to speak/sing some of the lyrics perfectly captures the discussional and somewhat confessional style of the song.  This is followed by a heartfelt "Being Alive" from Company with a simple, straightforward arrangement that begins slow and builds in tandem with Regan's delivery of the song.   Regan must have made a pretty good "Bobby" in the LA production he did of this show, which he won several awards for.

"Once in Love with Amy" is probably the least known track on the recording, or should I say from the least known musical Where's Charley?  Regan nicely captures the romantic and upbeat nature of this love song.  Again, the arrangement is completely unlike any of the others on the cd, and perfectly works with Regan's performance of the song.  The eight minute Man of La Mancha track includes the chance for Regan to show more of his acting abilities as it starts out with a few lines of dialogue from the show and includes "I, Don Quixote," "Dulcinea," "To Each His Dulcinea," and "The Impossible Dream."   It is a nice track that perfectly captures some of the best music from this show and Regan more then delivers on each of the songs included. 

Regan has a lot of fun with Penzance's "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General."  It is the patter song to end all patter songs and Regan has no problem navigating around the lyrics as they get faster and faster. I love the horse sound effect used in the song.  "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific has a lovely arrangement and Regan attempts to capture the pain behind the lyrics, and while he nearly pulls it off, his delivery is a little too styled and not quite strong enough to deliver what this song requires, so he doesn't quite bring the song to the heights that a few others have been able to take it to.  It is a good attempt but just doesn't quite make it.

The recording ends with two songs from Wicked, and after the selections above of songs from shows that are mainly from the 1940's to 1980's these last two very modern songs seem a little out of odds with what has come before.  However Regan gives them his all and his recording of "Defying Gravity" has to be one of the first recorded by a male.  The arrangement of that song sounds so full and almost on par with what you'd hear on Broadway.  The percussion and trumpet touches are really nice, so a big shout out to Fryman on his arrangement for this song.  The recording ends with Wicked's "For Good" and it is a nice way to end the cd as Regan perfectly captures the meaning behind the lyrics of learning and growing from the people you've known along your journey.

Recommended


Regan is performing the cabaret version of his show, “Give My Regards to Broadway” at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret in Chicago, this weekend, Sat., Sept. 24th at 8 pm and Sun., Sept. 25th at 7 pm and Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency in New York City, Sun., Oct. 2nd, 8:30pm.  Check his website below for information on getting tickets to those shows as well as information on his other upcoming concerts.

Dean's official website

Interview with Dean about the cd -

Dean's concert promo video -

cd review ANYTHING GOES, the New Broadway Cast Recording

If you read my review of the current Broadway revival of Anything Goes you know I had an excellent time seeing this production.  Even though there are numerous cast recordings from the many previous productions that musical has had, a cast album of this Broadway revival was made and it has just been released as a digital download with the cd release coming out in September.  

The recording is just as fun and colorful as the Broadway revival, with expert musical direction and playing by the orchestra, full, rich orchestrations and a simply de-lovely cast.  Sutton Foster, who won a Tony for her performance as "Reno Sweeney" sounds just as good as she did on stage.  She expertly handles the belting required but just as easily excels at the comical moments of the duets she has with her two male co-stars, Joel Grey and Colin Donnell.  Her performance perfectly captures the range required for the Cole Porter score, whether it be the comical, quick timing of some of the lyrics, the more bawdy moments of some of the songs or the more quiet and intimate moments.  She clearly shows why she deserved the Tony for her performance.  And, unlike a certain star of the last Broadway revival of this show, you can also clearly understand every lyric she sings.

Grey is in fine form on his songs and Donnell sings like a bird.  While there would be no question that Grey would be able to deliver on the same level as Sutton on their comical duet "Friendship," it is nice to see the relatively unknown Donnell pair beautifully with Foster on "You're the Top."  It is a nice bonus that the recording includes the extended version of that song that is heard in this production with the reprise added on to the end of the song.

The supporting cast has their moments to shine as well.  John McMartin is allowed to display his comical line readings on the dialogue around his song "I Want to Row on the Crew" and Laura Osnes sounds splendid on her songs, especially her second act solo, "Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye."  Osnes and Donnell are also simply heaven on "All Through the Night" which has a beautiful arrangement including a very romantic sounding rich vocal support from the ensemble.  Adam Godley, who got a Tony nom for his performance, sounds even better on his solo, "The Gypsy in Me" then I remember he sounded live on stage.

It is no question while this musical receives so many productions and recordings.  The Cole Porter score is one with so many classic songs, and having them delivered by this cast  make this recording a winner.  My only complaint, the title song "Anything Goes" is a slightly edited down version then what's heard in the theatre.  The dance breaks that build the song into a frenzy on stage have been slightly cut back for the recording.  Fortunately, "Blow Gabriel Blow" has the full version heard on stage, including the jazzy new orchestrations, which are simply divine.

The revival is already doing blockbuster business, and if anyone who hasn't seen the show yet listens to this superb recording it should only steer more people to the box office.  A highly recommended recording.

2011 Tony Award's Performance -

cd review- HOWARD MCGILLIN

I previously posted my reviews and thoughts on recordings by members of the original Broadway cast of The Secret Garden (Alison Fraser and Rebecca Luker) and now I'd like to comment on Howard McGillin's solo recording, Where Time Stands Still.  Now while McGillin wasn't in the original cast of The Secret Garden, he did replace Mandy Patinkin in the role of Archibald, the male lead and Uncle of the young female lead Mary and played the part for about half of the Broadway run.  McGillin has received two Tony Nominations (for The Mystery of Edwin Drood and Anything Goes) and holds the record for the longest running Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera having performed that part over 2,500 times.  He is currently co-starring in the Off Broadway revue of Cy Coleman music entitled The Best is Yet To Come which I will be seeing next week.

McGillin's recording is in the traditional adult contemporary style with lush orchestrations and the cd includes many American standards as well as several show tunes.  He has a strong, clear tenor voice that is romantic and lush and he has nice control as well, being able to let his voice soar as well as sing in a whisper.  This is a very romantic cd that I think you will like a lot.  

Some comments on some of the tracks on this recording:

The first track is a paring of "My Romance" from Jumbo and the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein song "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" which perfectly ties into the "time" theme that is present throughout this recording.   Another beautiful pairing comes with the two Sondheim songs "Not While I'm Around" and "Good Thing Going" from Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along respectively, that McGillin delivers in a touching way.  Irving Berlin's "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" from the film Top Hat has a great arrangement that starts with a solo piano that blossoms into a full out jazz fest with McGillin having a swinging time with the lyrics.

The Indigo Girls' "Power of Two" is a more current song then the previous tracks and McGillin delivers the upbeat song in an arrangement that includes him providing backup vocals as well and the end result is pretty special.  "Why Did I Choose You?"  from the flop musical The Yearling is also nicely delivered in a touching way.  He expertly pairs two Andrew Lloyd Webber songs that work so perfectly together, "Music of the Night" from Phantom and "Unexpected Song" from Song and Dance.  The Rodgers and Hart song "I'll Tell the Man in the Street" from I Married An Angel is given the full romantic and lush treatment with an arrangement that swells and is in perfect harmony to McGillin's soaring vocals.  McGillin's version of "I Have Dreamed" is a quiet and direct version of the romantic ballad from The King and I.

"Time" is a fairly unknown song from the musical Was, which is based on the novel of the same name.  McGillin was involved in an early demo recording of the score of that show, which has been produced but hasn't made it to a New York engagement just yet.  There are some beautiful songs in that score and this is one of them, so it is nice to see McGillin including it on this recording.  James Taylor's "The Secret of Life" obviously has no ties to musical theatre and though McGillin does a nice job with the material, the arrangement isn't quite up to the standard of the rest of the songs on this cd.  However, McGillin does have a great time with the swinging, upbeat arrangement for "Lucky To Be Me" from On The Town.  This is followed by a beautifully quiet take on the Henry Mancini/Leslie Bricusse movie song "Two For the Road" and the cd concludes with a touching version of  Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Where Time Stands Still" that includes a beautiful arrangement with a violin focus.

If you like romantic themed recordings with lush orchestrations definitely check this cd out.

cd review- Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen & Consider It Swung

Tom Wopat, who currently co-stars in Catch Me If You Can on Broadway, has had a varied career.  First achieving success on tv as one of the Dukes of Hazzard, he has appeared in ten Broadway shows including getting Tony nominations for his performances in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun and in A Catered Affair.  Wopat also appeared in the Broadway casts of City of Angels, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, 42nd Street and Glengarry Glen Ross as well as Sondheim on Sondheim last season.   He has also released eight solo recordings.  His first several recordings were country focused, but his last few have been jazz based, with the cds including many selections from the American standard songbook.

Last year we saw Wopat doing his jazz cabaret concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark (NJPAC.)  That concert was right before he released his latest recording entitled, Consider It Swung and he performed many selections from that recording at NJPAC.  This was also right after he appeared in the Seattle, Pre-Broadway run of Catch Me If You Can and right before he was on Broadway in Sondheim on Sondheim.   Wopat is the consummate entertainer and the cabaret setting, where he performed for about 400 people, gave him the chance to really connect with everyone in the room.   We previously saw him several years back when he toured with Faith Prince in celebration of the centennial of Harold Arlen's birthday.  At the same time he released an all Arlen recording, Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen.  This recording is a knock out, with amazing accompaniment and Wopat in great voice.

The Arlen cd evokes a smokey jazz night club with Wopat's deep, husky voice wrapping around the lyrics.   The jazz band he has supporting him is excellent and the arrangements throughout the cd give the band plenty of moments to shine.  Starting off with a great version of "That Old Black Magic" that gives Wopat the chance to show off his abilities to connect with the material from a jazz perspective.  "My Shining Hour" is lovingly delivered by Wopat, with a nice understated arrangement that starts off slow, then evolves into a more upbeat and layered accompaniment.  Wopat gives us a great take on "If I Only Had a Brain" from The Wizard of Oz that combines the lyrics from the three versions of the song heard in the film.  He has a lot of fun with the song, and manages not to get tongue tied with the intricate lyric rhymes.  This is followed by what has to be one of the best takes on "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" the quintessential song about a late nite drunken yearning from a melancholy man.  "Over the Rainbow" starts off with the seldom heard introduction to the song with Wopat managing to connect with the lyrics and making this often heard song seem fresh and new with the perfect jazz arrangement.

"Come Rain or Come Shine" is delivered in a somewhat slower version than is usually heard, but presented in this way, Wopat rings the wanting nature of the lyric and turns it into a somewhat desperate plea for attention.  The arrangement for "Accentuate the Positive" really allows not only for Wopat to swing the song but for the saxophone player to have a nice solo as well.  Wopat's delivery of "Hit the Road to Dreamland"  starts out with a dreamy arrangement then kicks it up a notch with a lovely xylophone solo that perfectly captures the dreamy point of the song.  "So Long Big Time" is delivered straight on but still gives Wopat and the band a change to swing it.  "Last Night When We Were Young" is the last track on the cd and is probably the one song on the recording that is delivered in the simplest manner by both Wopat and the band, which is a nice way to close out the recording.   Sam Arlen, Harold's son, plays the saxophone on the recording.

His latest cd, Consider it Swung, is an interesting mix of standards, 60's and 70's folk pop songs and a few recent songs as well.  Using some of the same jazz players to support him, it is a nice followup to the Arlen recording.  "That's Life" starts the cd off and fortunately it doesn't fall into yet other Sinatra imitation of the song that others feel is the only way to sing the song.  "Spinning Wheel" has a little out of the norm arrangement but Wopat and the band have fun with it and the Gershwin classic "But Not For Me" is delivered in a beautiful, heartfelt way.  "Ode to Billy Joe" has a driving guitar arrangement and an understated but direct delivery of the lyrics by Wopat that pairs nicely with the arrangement.  "2 Grey Rooms" is a haunting song written by Joni Mitchell and Wopat effectively evokes the melancholy, obsessive nature of this story song.   "Thailand Sea" was written by Wopat when he was making a movie in Thailand and is a nice love song with a beautiful arrangement.  It is pretty amazing to hear "Deacon Blues" sung with a jazz arrangement, the lyrics really come through and what was once just a late 70's soft pop hit for Steely Dan takes on a whole new life with Wopat at the helm.  Wopat's cut Catch Me song "50 Checks" is included as well (it's also a bonus song on the cast recording of the show) and Wopat delivers the song swingingly.   I love the arrangement for "You Fascinate Me So" it perfectly evokes a dreamy landscape and works beautifully with the song.  The classic song "42nd Street" that Wopat sung in the Broadway revival of that show ends the cd and it is slowed down slightly to let the lyrics wash over you.  Wopat and the lyrics also blend beautifully with the jazzy arrangement that includes a lovely saxophone focus.

At both the Arlen concert and the NJPAC cabaret, Wopat was such a professional entertainer who met his fans after both shows, and in the case of the Arlen concert was in the lobby before the show and at intermission as well.  We briefly spoke to him at both shows and the love he had for this music so clearly came through when he spoke.  It's nice to see a performer have such a connection and a love for the music he's performing.

I really enjoy both of these recordings so if you're looking for some jazz focused recordings I urge you to check them out.

Tom's Official Site

Audio Clips from the Harold Arlen cd:

Track list for the Arlen cd

1. That Old Black Magic

2. Dissertation On The State Of Bliss (Love And Learn)

3. My Shining Hour

4. If I Only Had A Brain  

5. One For My Baby

6. Over The Rainbow

7. Look Who's Been Dreaming

8. Come Rain Or Come Shine

9. Accentuate The Positive

10. Hit The Road To Dreamland

11. So Long Big Time

12. Last Night When We Were Young

Track list for Consider it Swumg:
1. That's Life
2. Spinning Wheel
3. But Not For Me
4. Ode To Billie Joe
5. 2 Grey Rooms
6. Maybe Someday Baby
7. Thailand Sea
8. You'd Rather Have The Blues
9. Deacon Blues
10. 50 Checks
11. You Fascinate Me So
12. 42nd Street
13. Natural Man
14. The Last Night Of The Year

Amazon link for the cd of  - Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen: Dissertation on the State of Bliss

Amazon link for the MP3 of - Dissertation On The State Of Bliss: Tom Wopat Sings Harold Arlen

Amazon link for the cd of Consider It Swung

Compilation video that includes Wopat singing some great songs -

Behind the scenes of the recording of "That's Life" -

cd review- Karen Mason- Not So Simply Broadway

Karen Mason is an accomplished, actress, singer and cabaret performer.  She's appeared in several Broadway shows, including Wonderland, which closed last week.  With the closing of the show on my mind, I thought I'd review my favorite of Karen's CDs.

Karen's voice is such a force of nature, with such depth, clarity and strength it is easy to see why she was the standby for all three of Broadway's Norma Desmond's in Sunset Boulevard.  Karen also starred as Tanya in the original Broadway cast of Mamma Mia, receiving a Drama Desk award nomination and originated one of the three female roles in the Off Broadway Kander and Ebb review, And The World Goes Round, receiving an Outer Critic's Circle Award for that part.

Karen's Not So Simply Broadway recording features some amazing arrangements that are jazzy and let the band members shine on several solo moments as well as compliment Karen's voice,  the first track combines "Follow Me" from Camelot and "Something's Coming" from West Side Story.  It is a beautiful arrangement and Karen really makes the coupling of these two songs her own.  I love her rendition of  "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face" from My Fair Lady and her take on Finian's Rainbow's " If This Isn't Love" is so heartfelt and it soars to the rafters.

Mason's take on Carousel's "Mr. Snow" is dreamy and lush with a beautiful flute accompaniment that perfectly plays off of as well as combines with Mason's voice.  "Colored Lights" from The Rink isn't the overblown production that some other singers have recorded, but delivered in a measured manner with an underlying driving force.  This is followed by another selection from Finian's Rainbow, "Devil Moon."   The arrangement for this song is jazzy, with a sax solo that perfectly exhibits the feeling behind the lyrics.  The way the sax combines with Mason's voice in the second half of the song is breathtaking with the ending allowing Mason and the sax to combine as if in a dance.  This is probably my favorite track on the recording.

"Nothing Really Happened" from Is There Life After High School?  is a story song, and Mason knows the importance of focusing on the lyrics to tell the story.  Her attention to the lyrics also isn't missed on "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific.  Delivered in a dreamy way, with an arrangement that builds perfectly to compliment Mason's building delivery of the song.  These serious songs are followed by the somewhat comical "Hey Look Me Over" from Wildcat.   Mason has some fun with this one, wrapping her voice around the lyric rhymes but ending with a big flourish.  The cd ends with "Never, Never Land" from Peter Pan which has yet another beautiful arrangement to accompany Mason.  I love how she doesn't deliver this song in the typical way it's been done before, but slows it down to make it more of a message for the young and young at heart, ending with a couple of lyrics from her opening song "Something's Coming" to tie the whole album together.

All in all, a highly recommended cd.  I'll review some of Karen's other CDs in future posts, as she has several out there.

Amazon link for the cd - Not So Simply Broadway

Amazon link for MP3's of the cd - Not So Simply Broadway

Amazon MP3 Clip previews-

Karen performing "This Nearly Was Mine" -