Rating:
Genre:
Vocal Music
Release Date: 01/23/2007
Last First Kiss builds nicely upon vocalist/pianist
Tony DeSare's superb 2005 debut album,
Want You. A charming presence on the microphone with classic silver-screen good looks and a
singer/songwriter's soul,
DeSare not only updates such classic
American popular song standards here as
"Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You" and
"How Deep Is the Ocean?," but also reinterprets such modern-day hits as
"Kiss," turning
Prince's iconic
funk track into a slowed-down organ-driven shuffle. Similarly invigorating,
DeSare dims the lights on
Carole King's usually upbeat
"I Feel the Earth Move" and delivers instead a brooding,
Miles Davis-influenced afterglow version. It's just this kind of postmodern niftiness that stops
Last First Kiss from being yet another solid yet predictable neo-crooner outing and turns it into a truly surprising listen. Also a pleasant surprise is
DeSare's own songwriting, and here he showcases his knack for both
classic jazz standard-influenced songcraft, as on the poignant
"I'll Never Have Enough of You," as well as more contemporary
rock-influenced writing, as evidenced by the sweetly melodic and bittersweet title track. Of course, at his core
DeSare is a supremely gifted interpreter of
jazz standards, and his softly melodic, straight-ahead take on
"There Will Never Be Another You" mainlines heartbreak to your soul. Throw in a stellar backing ensemble, including bassist and co-writer
Mike Lee, guitarist
Bucky Pizzarelli, and tenor saxophonist
Harry Allen, and
Last First Kiss enters the race as an early contender for one of the best releases of 2007.
~Matt Collar, All Music Guide
;)
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