Cincotti

It's been a while since I checked in to see what boy wonder Peter Cincotti was up to, but I happened to be talking about jazz with a friend of mine at dinner tonight in Santa Monica, and I think that jarred my memory. Apparently, he has a new album coming out early next year, and one of the tracks "Goodbye Philadelphia" is already blowing up in Paris where, presumably, they can't understand the lyrics. The song is a wonderful showcase for Peter's increasingly awesome vocals, and it demonstrates, as usual, his phenomenal finesse with the piano -- but the lyrics? Um... well, I get what he's trying to do. Or what David Foster was trying to do. But it doesn't... quite... make... any sense at all.

Just pretend you're French. You'll love it.



The lyrics for "East of Angel Town" (which would be Pasadena? the desert? Barstow? Vegas?) and "Cinderella Beautiful" continue the geography theme of the album but make more sense, are more original, and by far more interesting and layered (in parts anyway -- "Cinderella Beautiful" is, in the end, just a little too cheesy for my taste). But the music doesn't quite kick it into the same gear as "Goodbye, Philadelphia."

I do love Peter, though, and he's incredibly talented. If you have the good fortune of being in NYC, Toledo, or Indianapolis this fall, go check him out. He's just a tremendous performer.