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JOURNAL
June 2006
INTRODUCING ANDREW SUVALSKY
The young man's name was Andrew Suvalsky and I determined that he was that rare phenomenon, "the real thing." Over the years, I wondered what became of him and was puzzled as to why he wasn't wowing the crowds at the big nightclubs and appearing in the press.
Imagine my surprise when I recently opened a local entertainment magazine and saw a page-long article and interview about Andrew and his new CD, "Vintage Pop and the Jazz Sides" on the LML Music label. He was appearing at a small club to promote it, but I had school and couldn't attend. Nevertheless, I ordered the CD to hear if it lived up to the promise I remembered hearing all those years ago.
The production is rather spare and clean, and Andrew displays a broader range of material than I remembered hearing before (as the title suggests, pop and jazz!). The jazz cuts are, as expected, fresh and flawless: "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To", "Angel Eyes" and "Best is Yet to Come" show the vocal chops of a virtuoso and a maturity in exploring the lyric. I especially liked "Everything I've Got" a Rodgers and Hart tune previously unknown to me. It is slyly sadistic and Suvalsky finds just the right comic touch with the material. Listening to Suvalsky sing jazz makes me wonder how so many have fallen for the antiseptic sound of Michael Buble.
A real treat was hearing his ease with pop/rock songs. He unearths a long-forgotten gem from 1976, Gary Wright's "Love is Alive", a song from my childhood that sounded like nothing else on the radio at that time. Suvalsky manages to make me fall in love with the song all over again. Likewise, his take on "Love the One You're With" has me hoping Suvalsky tackles an all-rock CD one day down the road.
I think he falls short of the mark on "We're In This Love Together" but I applaud his courage in taking on a song so closely associated with a master like Al Jarreau. Also, Orbison's "Crying" has been covered so many times and Suvalsky's version is nice, but it seems his producer was more interested in getting a pretty sound than getting the singer to plumb the emotional depths of the song. Honestly, I think my version of that tune is better! But, readers, you may buy both of our CDs and judge for yourself!
All in all, though, this is a smart, classy project and worthy of our attention. Even Andrew's liner notes have a sophisticated and thoughtful quality. His matinee idol looks don't hurt the packaging either.
As one who's been around town for twenty years, chasing a dream or two, it's gratifying to see that someone else who has slowly been honing his craft is making a splash. If Andrew Suvalsky goes international, then there is justice in this world.
What's Your Opinion?
KevScoHall@Verizon.net