The sweet blurb John Ambrosini includes in the packaging for his infectious, wildly engaging debut album Songs for You indicate that the collection is “my gift to you, the listeners,” yet it’s clear that before they were our gift, they were his – blessings from some of the most influential singers and songwriters of all time who inspired his own eclectic career.
Though he’s kept his ample, soulful gifts as a singer, songwriter and vocal interpreter confined to other endeavors over the years – playing with bands and performance groups, arranging and composing music, teaching – it’s clear from these dynamic twists on the genius melodies and lyrics of his muses that being an artist is his deeper destiny.
His Peter Gabriel-ish voice synchs perfectly with tunes by everyone from fellow piano men Elton John (“Rocket Man”) and Billy Joel (“New York State of Mind,” somewhat autiobiographical for the NYC based Ambrosini) to James Taylor (“Sweet Baby James”), Rickie Lee Jones (“The Horses”), Radiohead (“High and Dry”), Steely Dan (“Pretzel Logic”), Jackson Browne (“Doctor My Eyes”) and Stephen Stills (“4+20”). Oh! And that list fails to mention perhaps the grandaddy of all, his snazzy, gospel inflected twist on “The Long and Winding Road,” the album’s lead single.
It’s testament to Ambrosini’s deep skills as a songwriter that his two originals, the harmony-filled and sax fired ballad “Maybe I’m Crazy” and the sensual, slightly exotic “Lover” fit in perfectly among his re-imaginings of the classics.
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