Expressions

Jon Secada | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 22, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Secada Productions
• ASIN: B002LMOAXI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,175 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Self-EXPRESSION, September 26, 2009

By 

Gordon Mahon (Washington D.C) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Expressions (Audio CD)

Following Jon Secada's music and career over the years, I believe he has recorded the album he has wanted to produce for a longtime. It makes sense considering that he studied and obtained a Master's Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami. Since that time he has had a couple of occasions to exercise his jazz vocal skills: (1) Amor (1995) [Grammy Award], (2) Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story (1997) ["Somewhere"]. Now finally in 2009, Mr. Secada has given us an exceptionally entertaining and beautiful jazz album. This is not a smooth jazz album; this is a true straight-ahead jazz album (think Joe Williams, Mel Torme, and Kurt Elling). "Expressions", a live recording- which gives it a very warm and intimate jazz club feel, is book-ended by a beautiful track, "I Do Love You" with a smooth scat performance by Secada. Jazz standards "Body and Soul" and "What a Wonderful World" are performed with sincerity and the vocal ability of a seasoned jazz vocalist. Pop classics "Chances Are" and "Alone Again (Naturally)" are given the jazz treatment with Secada adding his imprint to them. Secada's own compositions: "Wishes", "Find Me In Your Dreams", "Angel", "Just Another Day", "Letter From A Friend", "Rainbows", "I Found A Reason" and "When Night Time Falls" are excellent jazz compositions and interpretations. Listeners will recognize, "Angel" and "Just Another Day" lyrically, but the arrangements and interpretations by Secada distance them from the originals and keep them in line with the straight-ahead jazz theme of the album. Overall this is a wonderful, solid, and well produced jazz project, one that Mr. Sinatra, whom Secada recorded a duet with, would have been proud. I will end this review with a suggestion: Expressions (Jon Secada) - Grammy Award for Jazz Vocal Album of the Year.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Album, September 28, 2009

By 

Lisa C. (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Expressions (Audio CD)

This album is clearly one of Mr. Secada's finest, and one he must be very proud of. The lyrics are heartfelt, and his voice conveys every emotion - the joy and innocence of Wishes; the blase nonchalance of I Don't Care Much; shock, anger and helplessness in Letter to a Friend. His heart-wrenching rendition of Alone Again (Naturally) puts Gilbert O'Sullivan's original to shame. As someone who's followed Mr. Secada's career from the very beginning, I was excited to hear such beautiful jazz versions of Just Another Day and my personal favorite, the very touching Angel, as well as an English version of his Estoy Tranquilo from his 1995 album Amor (I Found a Reason). As with Amor, I fully expect Mr. Secada will win a Grammy for this work!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a pleasant surprise ..., November 16, 2009

By 

MusicLover#1 "lawtalkingguy" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Expressions (Audio CD)

I am a Jon Secada fan. Great singer and songwriter. Having grown up in South Florida and known folks who went to the University of Miami for music, I knew he was a jazz vocal major at a seriously talented music school. But he was a great R&B/Pop singer and songwriter b7y the time I bought his records. I stumbled upon his CD in the Amazon Nov $5 downloads. I love jazz vocals; Al Jarreau & Kurt Elling to name two. But could I hear Jon Secada without the flourish and shine and vocal runs of R&B/pop. Well at first it was hard to reorient my ears, no longer expecting the R&B/pop vocals. Then I heard him melding with the wonderful piano, bass, drums and soloists. By the time I hit the songs he wrote "Find Me In Your Dreams" and "Wishes," I started to get it, really get it. When I got to him reworking his own hits, "Angel" and "Another Day," with jazz arrangements, I realized that this is better than good, it is special. The best songs for me are the ones that he co-wrote, especially "I Found a Reason." But Jon does very nice things with jazz standards like Body & Soul and modern standards like Alone Again (Naturally). From Norah Jones-style jazz to straight-ahead jazz, fans of jazz and Jon Secada will not be disappointed. Adventurous enough for jazz fans and familiar enough for Jon's R&B/pop fans (try Angel or I Found a Reason). So glad I checked this out, and hope you do to, mostly so he will make another CD mixing standards and his own songs.