Customer Reviews

Peter Cincotti

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

People seem to be somewhat divided on Peter Cincotti, but part of the criticism aimed at him is because he's 19, the voice he uses so well is not completely matured, and, most of all, his national CD "rollout" was highly hyped (there is always a backlash against excessive hype since it says "I DARE YOU NOT TO LIKE IT" to critics). But put all that aside and what you get do get on this CD? A great jazz pianist who's a very good singer who shows huge vocal potential -- and lots of ARTISTIC GUTS.

If you never heard Cincotti before, didn't meet him, didn't interview him, etc. (and I never have) you will listen to this CD and discover a young musician who had the courage to put some of his self-composed songs on his first, standard-peppered jazz CD; a singer who has either studied the great piano and singing masters or is someone great reincarnated; a singer who shows incredible potential in his vocal style since his voice is not yet fully matured.

This CD collection is basically divided into three groups of songs performed by Cincotti and three other musicians: classic standards, his own compositions (with nice lyrics by relatives), and jazz versions of rock standards (Spinning Wheels; Fool on the Hill).

Of all of Cincotti's own compositions, the zippy Are You the One comes closest to a classic standard that could be performed by any singer and delight audiences anywhere. Some others, including his trademark I Changed the Rules, are not quite as strong melodically. But he deserves CREDIT for this: if he had not been daring and wanted to play it safe he would have recorded a first CD exclusively of old standards and then, once he had the new fans wanting more, put out a CD sprinkled with his own tunes.

The CD's strongest performance is Sway. In this song he shows a mastery of vocalstyle definitely suggesting a young Sinatra, in terms of phrasing and making lyrics come alive.His piano work is topnotch. Vocals may not be a 100 percent realization of his enormous potential, but that's what's so exciting. His voice is that of an old teenager ....but that will likely change (on the other hand Michael Jackson's has hardly changed so what do I know??).

When I was a kid in a theater group our director told us: "You don't want people to say you're great actors for 16 or 17 year olds. You want them to say you're great ACTORS."

Based on this CD, Cincotti is a potentially great singer, potentially great composer, and already a great pianist -- and his CDs are likely to get better and better. The only reason it doesn't get five stars is due to the (courageous but uneven) song selection. But some Cincotti-composed songs will undoubtedly catch on (and he'll write more) among jazz fans. And he will undoubtedly eventually do a CD exclusively of classic standards. If he continues to evolve, he'll be one of the "greats" in this genre in the 21st century.

I Just listened to this album out of curiousity about all the talk of Cincotti, and for my ongoing search of the seemingly nonexistent young singer who could compare to the great singers of the era of the style of music Peter is doing. Bingo finally (I think). This is more advanced than what I ever thought a young singer could put out. Way beyond the accomplished jazz piano playing are vocal interpretations that, unlike every young singer attempting this music, never ripp off or copy in any manor the phrasing or style of the pros of yesteryear who obviously inspired Peter into this great music. He delivers a lyric believable beyond reason whitch seems to be coming from a place of honesty instead of gimmickry. After hearing this record and recalling some of the other reviews here, I had to laugh at those who said "give the kid a break or a chance - he's young..." He is apparently doing awfully well and while we all need our "chance" it's more like - give yourself a break and a treat. This truly was a surprise and treat for me. I look forward to hearing of Peter Cincotti coming to perform in my home town area.

Peter Cincotti's self-titled debut is a wonderful album, filled with a charming elegance that seamlessly blends Peter's background in jazz and classical piano with a fresh new soul. After wowing people at the Algonquin Hotel's famed Oak Room, Peter has been attracting listeners and receiving acclaim from fans and critics alike, and this album showcases the extent of his musical abilities as a pop-jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer. "I Changed The Rules" is the opener for this record, and captures his unbridled musical talents with a youthful Sinatra-like voice. It also presents his rendition of the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill," which segues beautifully into Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy." This album is an attractive demonstration of this talented, young jazz vocalist, and is definitely not one to be missed.

Peter Cincotti's wonderful new CD bubbles with energy. It opens with his own "I Changed the Rules" with his pulsing piano and (apparently) Scott Kreitzer's blazing tenor sax. I've been enjoying Toni Price's country swing version of "Comes Love" on her "Lowdown & Up" CD and was curious to hear Peter's version. In his hands it's a smoky lounge treat with David Finck's throbbing bass on the opening verse with Peter's piano coming giving the track a dramatic build. Peter's liner notes are charming for "Sway," confessing that he'd discovered the tune via sheet music rather than having heard it sung. He transforms the piece into a smoky Latin track ripe for some cheek to cheek across the floor. I do enjoy his original "Lovers, Secrets, Lies" with its mature lyric and insistent piano. There really is very little of the Lennon & McCartney classic on track 6; so it's a bit misleading to think you'll really hear a medley. However, this is the 3rd version of "Nature Boy" in my collection, the others being the vocal version from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and the haunting instrumental track from the "Angel Eyes" soundtrack. It's such a lovely melody, that one savors it like a fine wine. "Come Live Your Life With Me" is interesting to hear the lyric version from the memorable theme from "the Godfather." I found the instrumental piano cover of Blood, Sweat & Tears' "Spinning Wheel" intriguing. Both "Ain't Misbehavin'" & "You Stepped Out of Dream" are good treatments of classic tunes. The CD concludes with the homage to the Muppets on "Rainbow Connection." As a debut, Cincotti's disc pulses with energy and is a real treat. It will be interesting to see him develop as a songwriter and see what choices of material he chooses to record in the future. Maybe we'll get a whole track of "Fool on the Hill" next time! Enjoy!

Peter Cincotti is a prodigy, and we must thankful that he has chosen to study jazz, as these spirited piano performances will demonstrate. No doubt he is a crooner but just one listen to "Spinning Wheel" will have you fumbling for the CD player's "Previous" button while shaking your head in amazement! This is Cincotti's first CD at the ripe old age of 19, and what a pleasure it will be to follow his growth as a musician - the sky is his limit!

I had the good fortune to see Peter at the Algonquin. He is a great talent. I highly recommend this CD which was produced by music legend Phil Ramone.

Peter Cincotti is talented; he's a singer, pianist, arranger, and composer. Unlike the currently popular female jazz singer/pianists like Norah Jones and Diana Krall, Cincotti is capable of playing something other than a ballad or love song, has enough technical capabilities to not have to sing on every track, and enunciates when he does sing (and his voice is just as good as Connick's--which may or may not be saying something).
So, if I think Cincotti is such a great talent, why did I give this album only three stars? Simple. Song selection. My personal favorites on the album have to be "Sway" (Simply because it's a Latin, and I always think having one Latin song on an album like this doesn't hurt), "Nature Boy/Fool on the Hill" (The fact that Cincotti even recorded this shows that he has some guts--it's hard to beat Nat--but he did an excellent job), "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Classic. He did a good job on it) "Spinning Wheel" (As a solo piano piece, it really shows off his arranging capabilities. AND his stride is really good!), and "Rainbow Connection" (I like the song, and his arrangement was very 'classy'). As for the rest of the pieces, they weren't bad, but they weren't "great," they didn't stand out.
If you like the Norah Jones, Diana Krall, or Harry Connick sound, buy this album. If you like expanding your musical horizons, buy this album. Otherwise, I would wait for Cincotti's second album, which will hopefully feature an equal amount of solo piano and piano with singing as well as more "great" pieces.

In the liner notes to this, Peter Cincotti's first album, he states a heartfelt acknowledgement to Harry Connick, Jr. As he should. This album is uncanny in its resemblance to Harry Connick, Jr's "Twenty", from the late '80's. You have two very handsome young men, who sing in the Sinatra mold, and who sound like prodigies on the piano.

But there are differences between the two young men, and they all favor Mr. Cincotti.

For one, Mr. Cincotti at age 19 is a far superior pianist to the 20-year-old Mr. Connick. Listen to how his hands are in balance in "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream", and listen to the cleanness of his licks in those pieces and in "Are You the One?" Mr. Connick could not do that at age 20. (In fairness, Mr. Cincotti's left hand is heavy in "Spinning Wheel"; but the 20-year-old Mr. Connick's left hand was perpetually heavy)

For two, Mr. Cincotti can sing a ballad with tenderness--much more so than the 20-year-old Mr. Connick. Listen to "Sway" and the album's highlight, "Fool on the Hill/Nature Boy", and you'll hear what I mean.

For three, Mr. Cincotti is an uncommonly good songwriter for such a young man. His "I Changed the Rules" leads off the album with cooking brio, and it holds up to anything else here. ""Are You the One?" and "Lovers, Secrets and Lies" are nearly that good. Mr. Connick did not have that talent at age 20.

Here's hoping that the 4-headed monster known as "Sex, drugs, rock and roll, and Hollywood" don't get to him. This young man has fantastic potential, and I'd love to hear a fully realized, middle aged Pter Cincotti do "Rainbow Connection" in about 20 years. If he reaches his full potential, it will be sensational. Until then, enjoy the ride!

Don't be fooled by some of the silly and thoughtless reviews posted here; this CD needs at least 2 or 3 turns before you realize how much it will grow on you. And don't let Mr. Cincotti's nice skin and cool hair fool you, either. This is a thoughful and caring artist who is only beginning to find his musical feet. It will be a joy to be in on the ground floor to watch his evolution. His playing is already formidable and often the best thing on each cut; his voice is just where it should be at his age, though I agree he is probably an old soul in a young body. I found "Sway" and many of the other cuts sexy, cool, and romantic all at the same time. The newer songs are, naturally, a tad lesser in quality, but again this leaves plenty of room for growth. Why do some of these reviews expect this CD to outdo Sinatra's "Only The Lonely" or Streisand's "Broadway Album"? Have we forgotten that even the best singers had to start somewhere? That Peter Cincotti's maiden effort is so consistently enjoyable, well-crafted, and sincere should be enough. I myself planning on being a fan for the long haul.

Mr. Cincotti has enjoyed a very high profile media launch of this cd. I say good for him...this balances the fact that he will certainly not get much radioplay from the two decrepit organizations that control the airwaves throughout this country. But I digress, beyond all the hype the surprise here is that Cincotti has some top-notch piano chops. While he has obviously been influenced by Waller and Garner, his has already started to develop his own style. His singing is fine (if not exceptional) and he brings a musicality to his singing approach. He also seems to have a good ability to inhabit the songs and look for their meaning rather than to get lost in trying to hone a particular vocal style. There are quite a few singers who fall into this trap when approaching a pre-bop or Cabaret repetoire (I won't mention names). This is an impressive debut cd and Mr Cincotti is a talent to watch. Having recently caught his show, I am all the more impressed by both his talent and stage presence. His ability to improvize is well beyond what this cd shows. Songs like "Sway" and "I've Changed the Rules" (both wonderful on this cd) really benefited from a looser live approach. My mind simply reels at what the future holds in store. Highly Recommended.