Brian Stokes Mitchell

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Original Release Date: June 6, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony Legacy
• ASIN: B000FCUT6I
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,654 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Cabaret

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
It's well known that the majority of musical-theater stars are women; save for a few exceptions (The Producers, for instance), most of the glory parts are written for them, and they're the ones who elicit fan worship. Brian Stokes Mitchell is among the rare male leads to attract the same kind of following. Few men have his easy-going charisma or his velvety pipes. Thanks to his long-overdue debut solo album (six years in the making), we now know he has even more skills than we suspected: Mitchell produced the CD, wrote the arrangements for several songs, and even conducted the orchestra on a pair of tracks. The repertoire itself isn't that unexpected, but the arrangements lean more toward lite jazz (chimes, lots of chimes) than Broadway. The singer's MO is embodied by a medley of Stephen Sondheim's "Another Hundred People" and Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train." Overall the results are hit or miss, though Mitchell is such a great singer that even the misses are honorable. Opener "Something's Coming" start things off shakily, but Mitchell picks up with "The Best Is Yet to Come" and especially "Just in Time" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (on which he recalls Al Jarreau in his prime). The album concludes with John Bucchino's "Grateful," a pat inspirational number which Mitchell infuses with fervor. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Excellent, June 6, 2006

By	Marcus (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

Thank God we finally have an inventive and imaginative solo album by a Broadway artist. These are NOT the cookie cutter versions of these songs that we love so much. These are brand new arrangements, most by Brian Stokes Mitchell himself. They are smart, immersive interpretations of this music, and Brian is able to demonstrate the full range of his talents here. There is more to life, and singing, than simply belting out one standard after another, and Brian Stokes Mitchell delivers here. Buy it.

40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dismayed!, June 10, 2006

By	Music Lover "Music Lover" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

I am so dismayed by the amount of negative reviews of this cd. An artist does not have to maintain the exact same style from show to show and cd to cd. Since this is his first release that is not from a show, he had every right to take liberties w/ production, style, etc....and the result is a breath of fresh air and a slick and soothing sound. He possesses such a great tone and delivery to his voice and I look forward to many more! It's sad that people that can call themselves fans can be so quick to put someone down.......not a fan.....more a fairweather type.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brian Stokes Mitchell's First Solo Album, June 11, 2006

By	Judith Williams "Judy" (Petaluma, CA USA) - See all my reviews

If you are expecting the new Brian Stokes Mitchell album to be the ordinary renditions of standard show tunes this may not be the album for you. This album has original and innovative jazz renditions of some show tunes. Some are playful and fun with nuanced humor as in `The Best Is Yet to Come' and `Just in Time'. He uses the power and versatility of his deep baritone in the excellent rendition of `How Long Has This Been Going On'. The least interesting track is `Something's Coming' as it is the closest to the original version.

His voice is a fine-honed instrument with amazing versatility, control, power and range, and he knows how to use it for maximum influence on these tracks. The songs are sung with the feeling and emotion for which Stokes is known.

The arrangements, most of which are done by himself, are brilliant. He is an innovative jazz interpreter and we are fortunate to have him turn his many talents in this direction. Let's hope there are many more albums to follow.