AND I WILL FOLLOW

Everytime I get a new CD, I become completely obsessed and fanatical about them (and I do actually choose my CD purchases very carefully since I am prone to boredom). My last few CD purchases, in particular, The Last Five Years, and Lauren Kennedy: The Songs of Jason Robert Brown and now Melissa Errico: Blue Like That are great buys. I think I listened to the first two albums for like a month straight (each). Because of The Last Five Years, I discovered Jason Robert Brown. I first heard of him when he was nominated for a Tony for Parade, but I wasn't really so much into the music. Some people don't care for Jason Robert Brown, some say he is the modern answer to Stephen Sondheim. I don't like to compare artists or composers because their works are so different, I don't think it's fair. But after listening to The Last Five Years, I became really intrigued by everything Jason Robert Brown. What I loved about The Last Five Years is that I could relate to it; I could feel the pain, the anger, the joy and the uncertainty. If ever I could perform in a small musical, I'd have to say that The Last Five Years would be it. There is something about it that anyone who has ever been in love or in a relationship would relate to. And that musical led me to discovering his other works compiled nicely on a beautiful album sung by the amazing Lauren Kennedy. Each song tells a story, each song makes me think somehow...the lyrics aren't empty and convenient rhyming schemes, but rich, gorgeous storytelling with each line.

And then there is Melissa Errico. Being the musical theater fanatic that I am, I've obviously heard of her A LOT through the years, but became more familiar with her work after hearing her and Malcom Gets perform the beautiful music from Michel LeGrand's Amour. So I discovered MP3s on Angel Record's Website and loved it. It's folky, jazzy, completely NOT at all musical theater-y, which I still love. It's soothing and mellow and beautiful and feels sort of like a Norah Jones-y kind of CD. I think this is another one of those CDs that will long live in my CD player.