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 The Legends of Laurel Canyon
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
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Karen Dalton
Transfiguration of Vincent
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Bob Dylan
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Let It Roll: The Best of George Harrison
George Harrison
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Steve Tyrell
Steve Tyrell is a man who loves his job. As head of A&R at Scepter Records, and as a hit producer and songwriter ("Hooked on a Feeling" by B.J. Thomas, and "How Do You Talk to an Angel, by the Heights, respectively), he has approached the music business from both sides.
His enthusiasm led to this career as an interpretive singer. All material for this album is chosen from the pre-1950 classic songbook of composers such as the Gershwins, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, et al. With material like this and a band that includes such luminaries as Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Clark Terry, ‘Toots’ Thielemans, Joe Sample, Louis Bellson and others, it’s hard to miss, and Tyrell does a laudable job of surviving the front-and-center role, but not much more.
His style is very conservative, and respectful of the songwriter. He makes each number sound classy (in the expensive sense of the word) but lacking in depth of emotion. The problem is that his performance inevitably veers so far toward cool jazz that it ends up sounding more like new age cocktail music. He conveys warmth, but not much passion.
Grade: 
 
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