Tom Michael means good sound. He hears the words. He sounds the meanings with a voice that can have a softly sonorous presence or the ping of rock crystal: inflecting a bright mezzo voce falsetto, clearly enunciating while infusing with translucent layers of shading, impeccably/securely maintaining place and meaning, lyric, line and flow.

That said, the long romantic sweep of this CD, even evinced in, of all places, “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” (Fred Fisher)—duetted with Beckie Menzie who also plies piano, arrangements and musical direction—and certainly in ”The Shadow of Your Smile” (Paul Francis Webster/Johnny Mandel), has a tendency toward overextension which takes it close to the brink of bathos. Michael, at first, does not get out in front of the music, yet, conversely, still it feels as if he’s dragging it along. “Out of This World” (Mercer/Arlen) starts off almost painfully slow—if not pulling teeth, then surely taffy—but by mid-song, he knows the drill and things feel better after that.

His duets with Menzie (who has a pleasant and clean enough urban-folksy sound of her own), inflected with fairly simple if insistent harmonies, should be naturally comfortable and familiar, but they are on on one track and off the next. Soloing, Tom gives a faultless rendition of “So Many People” (Sondheim) that once and for all literally dispels the rumor that the redoubtable composer’s works are unhummable. Even the cello, which hithertofore has been nothing if not lugubrious, is perfectly notable. And this is followed by (weren’t they listening to playbacks?) a tandem assault on “Somewhere.”

This is a sometimes flawed package due mostly to some misguided arrangements. But it isn’t quite ”Too Late Now” (Lerner/Lane)—an earlier-placed cut—not only an acutely honest vocal but, oh, that flirty sax.

Noah Tree
Cabaret Scenes
September 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org