Tenor at the Movies

I think I will rename this album as ‘Tremor at the Movies’ as the ground may well start to shake in the cinema as new kid on the ‘solo’ block Jonathan Ansell releases his debut album ‘Tenor at the Movies’ later this month (Feb 18). No more security and backing from his mates in G4, now it’s time for this usher to stand at the front and play the lead role in his very own epic.

I was never a big fan of G4; don’t ask me why; maybe because of the clinical mass-marketed approach to their promotion or that they always seemed to be a group of three and one singer! That’s no disrespect to the other members, but Jon was always the front man, the one that stood out from the others. I wasn’t even that blown away by his voice in the beginning to be honest and at times found it to be quite grinding.  So when I was asked to review his debut solo album I must admit I was a little way back in the enthusiasm queue!

The CD is a mix of big movie themes and scores, some very well known, if only by their soundtracks but it was a good start on the ‘first impressions’ front.

‘Here’s to the Heroes’ is from the Kevin Costner film ‘Dances with Wolves’. Jon’s performance to John Barry’s Oscar winning score is powerful and emotional and gives us an insight in to how his voice has developed and how much more of a warmed texture it now has.

The Gladiator track ‘Now We Are Free’ by Hans Zimmer is full of passion; the song never fails to lift the listener throughout. There are better versions, but the song really helps to show off Jon’s range and the feeling he is now able to put in to a performance.

With the famous ‘Parla Piu Piano’ from ‘The Godfather’ we get a new very soft flowing vocal from Jon, he easily gives that all important Sicilian edge to the song.

In ‘Un Giorno Per Noi’ he gets to play Romeo with Juliet being performed by a flawless Hayley Westenra. A duet well suited, we get a feeling of raw emotion as their voices entwine in love and passion, thankfully poison-free at the end! 

My least favourite track on the CD is ‘Race to the End’ from ‘Chariots of Fire’, no real reason, just didn’t click with me, although a good performance by Jon if a little bit G4’ish.

However, across all 13 tracks the best one for me has to be ‘Vois Sur Ton Chemin’, the theme to ‘The Choristes’ performed with classical girl group ‘All Angels’. This haunting but cheeky jaunt around the forest of the mind has Jon commanding a sensual ballet of spine tingling moments. Shame its such a short track, I could listen to it all day long.

I like this album; it has to be a great start to Jon’s solo career and it’s sure to go down well with his already flourishing fan-base which is bound to expand even further. With an excellent mix of well-known classics, his A&R / producer need a good pat on the back.

Don’t get me wrong, his voice has still got a lot of maturing to do, but with the right guidance both with his voice and career, he may well go down is history standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Bocelli, Jose and Pav!

Tracklisting:
 
1. Here's to the Heroes (theme from Dances with Wolves) – Barry/Black
2. Now We Are Free (theme from Gladiator) - Zimmer
3. Parla Piu Piano (theme from the Godfather) - Rota
4. Race to the End (theme from Chariots of Fire) - Vangelis / Anderson
5. Un Giorno Per Noi (theme from Romeo and Juliet) - Rota/Rapetti/Snyder/Kusik
6. Vois Sur Ton Chemin (theme from Les Choristes) - Barratier / Coulais
7. My Own True Love (theme from Gone With the Wind) – David/Steiner
8. Down to the River to Pray (theme from O Brother Where Art Thou) – trad.
9. Se (theme from Cinema Paradiso) - Morricone / De Sensi
10. Prayer in the Night (theme from Barry Lyndon) - Handel / Shearman / Babenia
11. Si Un Jour (from Manon Des Sources & Jean de Florette) - Verdi/Petit/Leon/Momont
12. Che Gelida Manina (theme from Moonstruck) - Puccini
13. Dreaming of You (based on the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana from Raging Bull) - Mascagni/Blaskey Skarbek
Bonus Track: La Califfa – Morricone

Available from 18 February from all good music outlets.

Added: January 19th 2008
Reviewer: Serge
Score: