aj croce by request

​A.J. Croce (from the album By Request available on Compass Records) (by Brian Rock)
Back by popular demand, A.J. Croce returns with a set of covers of selected personal favorites on By Request. As if 2020 didn’t present trouble enough, Croce was still grieving the 2018 passing of his wife when the pandemic broke out. Sometimes when the present becomes too much to bear, the best strategy is to reflect on the past before moving forward again. That’s what Croce does here. 
With heartfelt poignancy, he gives a much-needed vocal upgrade to Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”. Comforting his own motherless children, he sings “Ooh Child”, by The Five Stairsteps. The words, ‘someday we’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun’, become a promise for his children, and a ray of hope for himself. “San Diego Serenade” conveys the sad irony of only fully appreciating something (or someone) after it’s gone. The loneliness and perseverance of “Sail On Sailor” are enhanced by A.J. Croce’s soulful voice, while his version of “Can’t Nobody Love You” becomes a tender tribute to his wife.
But Croce also pays tribute to the good times from his past. He and his wife used to host dinner parties which would inevitably end up in the music room, where friends would call out requests for favorite songs from diverse artists and genres. Songs ranging from Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing”, “Stay With Me” by The Faces, and Allen Toussaint’s (via Three Dog Night) “Brickyard Blues” showed off both Croce’s vocal and keyboard prowess and are included here. “Have You Seen My Baby”, “Better Day”, and “Ain’t No Justice” round out the set with spirited, high energy interpretations of these lesser-known musical nuggets.
Sliding from Soul to Blues to Pop to Jazz to Rock, A.J. Croce makes them all distinctly his. Brilliantly fusing Philly Soul with New Orleans Jazz, he is a vocal and musical powerhouse that’s equal parts Billy Preston and Dr. John. While it’s impossible to pay tribute to all of a musician’s influences in twelve short songs, A.J. Croce provides an intriguing musical cross section that reflects the highs and lows of life’s magnum opus; and hopefully, provides comfort to those of us who find ourselves muddled somewhere between those highs. (by Brian Rock)
Listen and buy the music of A.J. Croce from AMAZON
 
For more info, check out the A.J. Croce website

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