Sam Broverman chose the lyrics of Johnny Mercer as the theme of his debut CD, Dream Maker Heartbreaker, giving us a good collection of twelve songs, by a variety of composers, with a nice and easy, swinging jazz feel.

The CD kicks off nicely with a swing version of “I Thought About You” (Van Heusen) featuring outstanding solos on harmonica (Chris Whiteley) and guitar (Reg Schwager), and setting the stage for what’s to follow. “Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home” (Arlen) has a nice slow swing to it, and Broverman’s vocals are particularly good on this track for their restraint and sense of “cool.” It also features great trumpet (Chris Whiteley) and sax (Kelly Jefferson) solos. The background vocals (Debbie Fleming) give “Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive” (Arlen) a soulful, gospel jazz feel, which works nicely, with terrific musical punctuation.

In the brief, self-penned “Revenge,” which leads into “I Wanna Be Around” (music by Mercer; lyrics by Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt), Broverman really connects emotionally with the lyrics, and vocally he’s spot on. “Goody Goody” (Matt Malnek/Mercer) is a fun, jive version, with nice backup singing and self-harmonies (Fleming), and a swinging sax solo (Kelly Jefferson). I loved the seriously lazy guitar intro to “Trav’lin’ Light” (Billy Mundy/Trummy Young). In this song, as well as “Laura” (David Raksin) and “Moon River” (Henry Mancini) Broverman shows he can be romantic, soothing and warm through his hushed and sometimes breathy tones. In “Day In, Day Out” (Rube Bloom), the vocals perfectly fit the big band arrangement.

Andrew Jones and Andrew Downing provided terrific horn and string arrangements, respectively. The CD was produced by Ken Whiteley and recorded in Broverman’s native Toronto.

Broverman’s vocals are always good, but my one complaint is that there’s a same punchiness to them, despite a variety of musical arrangements. Just a bit more variation in vocal style wouldn’t go amiss. Regardless, Broverman’s CD is full of heart and energy, and a nice tribute to Mercer. Sam Broverman has certainly hung his hat on this one.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
October 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org