BWW Reviews: TO DO. TO BE - The Music of Tim Prottey-Jones

Tim Prottey-Jones most notably came to people's attention when he was a finalist on ITV's Superstar whereby Andrew Lloyd Webber used his previously successful reality format to find his 'Jesus' for a UK arena tour. After being eliminated far too early from the competition, there was a conciliation when he was offered the understudy for Judas (played by Tim Minchin) in the show. Although this gave him a platform and the recognition he deserved, his career was blossoming before the competition even started. Prottey-Jones is now performing in Kinky Boots in London, following a run in the successful West End production of Once. He excels in all areas of performance; a multi-talented vocalist, musician, composer and producer - as showcased on this, his third studio album 'To Do. To Be'.

Prottey-Jones' previous albums 'More With Every Line' and 'Surrounded By The Sounds' both featured an array of West End and Broadway stars as does this current release with performances from Amy Lennox, Jacqueline Hughes, Declan Bennett, Evelyn Hoskins and Laura Pitt-Pulford to name but a few. This calibre of performer emphasises how respected he is as a producer and the strength of his songwriting and composition. 'To Do. To Be' features a selection of his collaborated songs from original pieces of musical theatre including The First Last Kiss, Equally and After The Turn. There is an acoustic pop and folky feel to the album on the whole but lyrically, they all tell a different story. They are almost all related to relationships and have a very emotional core. Personal favourites on the album are 'Keep Your Distance' from Equally sung beautifully by Emma Hatton and Alistair Brammer and 'Regret Me' from the same show, stunningly executed by Ambra Caserotti. It is also wonderful to hear from the talent behind the tunes on 'Leaving For You' with Arthur Darvill, taken from short musical film Standing On The Edge. There is not one song on the album that isn't great. Many are ballads but the tempo does creep up occasionally such as in 'The Song of Sin' by Paul Ayres. There are also some gorgeous cello orchestrations scattered throughout.

Not only do I now want a copy of Prottey-Jones' other CDs but I feel this one will be playing in my car for some time! Easy listening and a true connection is felt between music and lyrics.

'To Do. To Be' is now available from Amazon, iTunes and Dress Circle.

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