BWW CD Review: Matthew Morrison's Voice Soars Covering Classic Broadway Tunes in WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Glee's Matthew Morrison's voice is so smooth - it's like butter. His debut album was full of iconic songs by seasoned musicians like Elton John and Sting, but his spanking new sophomore album is packed with covers of classic Broadway show tunes. Morrison has appeared in Broadway shows like South Pacific and light at the Piazza, so the title of his new album Where It All Began is very approrpiate - because Broadway really is where he began.

His vocals soar in these much beloved tunes. His voice is bound to warm your heart and put you in a good mood.

The track list for the album is nothing short of brilliant. Morrison picked the perfect cherished show tunes to show off his incredible voice and represent classic Broadway.

With "Singing In The Rain," Morrison will have you swaying your head and wanting to dance with him. He sings in a way that is both seductive and smooth. You will not be able to listen to "Come rain or come shine," without getting lost in the sweet sounds of his voice.

"Ease on Down the Road," from The Wiz, was originally sung by Michael Jackson and DiAnna Ross - quite a difficult act to follow. With the help of Smokey Robinson, Morrison owns this soulful number. The track is one of the more upbeat of the album, and Morrison just wails and belts his way brilliantly throughout the track. Robinson adds some flavor to the song; he was the perfect collaboration choice for this particular song. The two sound brilliant together on the cover. It is easily the most fun off of the record, and the one most likely to make you want to jam out. The two make the song their own, their voices complimenting each other phenomenally

"Lucky be a Lady," has a cuteness to it that can only be conveyed by Morrison. He doesn't add riffs or any other embellishments; his sultry voice carries the song all on its own. The way he emphasizes "tramp" however, will have you bowing down to his talent. By the end of the track he starts putting a little bit of his own spin on it with some doo-wooping. That's not embellishment, that's just being original and being Matthew Morrison.

Morrison takes some artistic license with the iconic show tunes by changing them up, whether it is via the arrangements or his interpretation of the songs. This is most evident in his "West Side Story medley." The medley is crafted brilliantly, all songs transitioning perfectly into one another, Morrison effortlessly changES from one song from the iconic musical to another. When he starts into "Maria," listeners can prepare to just melt - because he just kissed a girl named Maria.

Morrison released "It Don't Mean a Thing," as the debut single off of the album, and boy was that a smart move. The song IS a perfect representative of the classic yet fun nature of the record.

As a whole, this album is perfect for Morrison's fans who miss his presence on the Broadway stage, and theatre fans in general who love hearing their favourite tunes covered in an original way.

"Where It All Began," is currently available on iTunes.

To post a comment, you must register and login.