Music Review: Robbie Rozelle Sings Songs Of The City On New Single ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE/WHAT MORE DO I NEED

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, welcome back to Bobby’s CD sandbox where we offer our broken-down breakdowns of new music releases. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This new album entry in the BobbyFiles comes from one of our NYC Cabaret/Nightlife faves -  The host, raconteur, producer, director, and singer Robbie Rozelle who, late last month, released a mash-up single of two Sondheim numbers that happen to be two of Little Bobby’s faves - ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE and WHAT MORE DO I NEED?. RR’s popularity with his fans and fellow cabaretists is undeniable. His shows sell, his direction for shows is sought-after, and his design of artwork for Grammy Winning Broadway Records, where he currently serves as the A&R Director and in-house designer, is nothing short of superb. Along with all of that, he is personally beloved by all who know him. Bobby does not know Robbie, and, in our review of the Rozelle-directed nightclub act of Robert Bannon last month, in which RR performed a guest appearance, we wrote the following…

“... in the past, this rainbow writer has been a bit reserved in praising Rozelle as a performer, calling him a gifted amateur … but we have it on good authority that Rozelle works hard, and studies even harder, and … all the work has paid off…”

Of all the hats Rozelle wears, the one he treasures the most is his singer chapeau. Whatever his vocal shortcomings were, he has overcome a lot of them through tenacity and focus, with his eyes on the prize. One does not have to be a GREAT singer to perform music for paying audiences, and RR’s package as a performer combines raucous laughs from his out-and-proud gay flapdoodle, and genuine musicality and love of song in his voice. He also has one of the most gifted ears in the biz, one that generates ideas of how to perform songs that he, then, passes to someone equally gifted, like the ever-gorgeous Yasuhiko Fukuoka, who then translates what’s in Rozelle’s rainbow brain into wonderful (and often surprising) arrangements.

This brings us to ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE/WHAT MORE DO I NEED?, a mash-up of two Sondheim songs from two different Sondheim eras, both of which capture the spirit of our beloved New York City. Robbie has always been a wonderful performer, but, initially, he had what Bobby would call an eccentric “character voice.” His character voice has become a smoother, richer character voice. With this arrangement, the hard-driving rush of New York usually associated with ANOTHER 100 is softened by a gentler tempo, and a more legato interp than most performances which, at first, seems to undercut the needed tension… the drama of it all. But this is because of the marriage to WHAT MORE and, in fact, the soft, easy, and smooth transition into the second song was beautifully done. Here, the tempo increases after the verse, and the dramatic tension expected in the minor key ANOTHER 100 is handled by the older tune. The sounds of the city take over and move Robbie along and drop him back into his first tune, this time with somewhere to go, and he goes there…. His final note is spot on.

Here is what Robbie said in his release notes for this single…

“When I create these, I usually go to the MD and say ‘Here’s what I’m thinking’ and sing it ... In this case, Yasuhiko Fukuoka played it (skeptically), and, then, after, he paused and said, “Oh, this is brilliant”.

And sure 'nuff my rainbow readers… It is. Just have a little listen, here, my dearlings, and then go put this one in your stream ...

As you can hear, dear Bobby readers, these two Sondheims go together better than one might think - certainly better than this writer thought they would, initially, and we are kinda all about this arrangement, now. Rozelle deserves the praise and all the love he receives, here on our Cabaret stages, and despite the fact that we are not personally acquainted, our view of his progress over the past few years makes us a little proud of him, and it is that pride that prompts us to give Robbie Rozelle ANOTHER HUNDRED PEOPLE/WHAT MORE DO I NEED a solid

3 3/4 Out Of 5 Rainbows

Put This One In Your Spotifies Today: HERE

Check Out All Things Robbie On His WebbySite: HERE

CREDITS:

Arranger/Music Director/Keys
Yasuhiko Fukuoka

Cover Photo By, Stephen Mosher

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