BWW Reviews: Tituss Burgess' Spellbinding COMFORTABLE is Mesmerizing

Tituss Burgess, best known for his recurring role as D'Fwan on NBC's 30 Rock, has been thrilling Broadway audiences with his unique and soulful voice for years. He made his Broadway debut in 2005 as Eddie in GOOD VIBRATIONS. He then went on to be HAl Miller in the original Broadway company of JERSEY BOYS in 2005. In 2007, he originated the role of Sebastian the Crab in Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, and in 2009 he was Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the revival of GUYS AND DOLLS. Now, with the release of this incomparable and fantastic R&B singer-songwriter's 2012 studio album COMFORTABLE, audiences and fans can enjoy his captivating and rich voice wherever and whenever.

Tituss Burgess' soaring and smooth tenor instrument is on prominent and mesmerizing display across the intensely personal and evocative R&B tracks. His timbre is incredibly distinctive and sounds as if he creates a majority of his sound on his soft palate. This distinguishing trait makes his music all the more electrifying and adds an extremely subtle sound that is slightly reminiscent of voices from the islands.

Across the 11 tracks, Tituss Burgess shows incredible emotional range. The album opens with a fresh, funky upbeat jam called "Stop Calling." On this track and others like it, especially "You Outta Me," Tituss Burgess is incredibly charismatic and entertaining. The music, beat, and his voice will instantly get listeners' toes tapping and heads bobbing. "Stay" introduces audiences to Tituss Burgess' more sensual charms and impresses with vocal prowess. Additionally, on songs like "All I Need" and "Comfortable," he exemplifies stirringly passionate performances that speak to the heart. The penultimate example of his gorgeous, soulfully inspired, and emotionally rich slower tracks is the pristine and compelling "I'll Be Alright," which features a striking string arrangement.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this album is that Tituss Burgess skillfully wrote the music and lyrics for 10 of the 11 songs. Many of these captivating and catchy songs could find a comfortable home on adult contemporary radio with their power to exhilarate listeners time and time again. He plays homage to Stevie Wonders' 1970s hits with his "Stop Calling" and to Phil Collins and other performers of the 1980s with "Glass Ceiling." The bonus track, a live recording from B.B. King's, is Tituss Burgess' gorgeously arresting rendition of Sam M. Lewis and J. Fred Coots pop standard "For All We Know."

Tituss Burgess' COMFORTABLE was recorded at Good To Go Studios and MSR Studios in New York City. Donnie Kehr Produced and Recorded the thrilling album, with Co Production by Tituss Burgess. Post Production and Mixing is masterfully done by Jeffrey Lesser. The album is well Engineered by Mike Schelzi and Donnie Kehr.

Listen to Tituss Burgess sing "I'll Be Alright" from COMFORTABLE in the video:

Tituss Burgess' delightfully spellbinding COMFORTABLE was released digitally on October 14, 2012. Physical copies of the album were released on May 14, 2013. The album can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and elsewhere music is sold.

For information about other theatrical recording releases, click here.

Image courtesy of Tituss Burgess Productions.

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