Tony Desare - Radio Show (2009)

Though not as highly touted in the mid- to late 2000s as Michael Bublé, or as groundbreaking as Harry Connick, Jr. was a generation earlier, the versatile, warm toned singer, songwriter, and pianist was similar to those artists in his mix of jazz, pop, and soul, and given his extreme talent as a live entertainer and his versatility in covering various eras of contemporary music. Expanding on the vibe of Bublé's breakthrough albums, DeSare once again blends contemporary pop and traditional pop sensibilities, creating a concept album featuring snippets from mock radio broadcasts between a colorful, infectious hodgepodge of heartfelt originals (the tender, sensual "A Little Bit Closer" and the soft, candlelit "To Touch a Woman", Great American Songbook romps (a gently swinging and bluesy "All or Nothing at All," and surprising pop era hits. The latter range from "Johnny B. Goode" (say, if Jerry Lee Lewis had done it instead of Chuck Berry) to "Hallelujah! I Love Her So" and a loungey take on the Phil Collins/Philip Bailey hit "Easy Lover." If his goal with the radio broadcast touches was to offer a historical retrospective of the intimate relationship between the music, the fans at home, and the medium that still has the power to bring them together, DeSare succeeds brilliantly. But even without that lofty goal, it's a high spirited and hard to resist revue. In the past, charismatic crooners had to limit themselves to the Songbook or bust, but thanks to Bublé and DeSare, they could dig deeper, time travel more freely, and discover the joy in many eras of music. © Jonathan Widran