Play 90 second soundbite of 'Never Be The Same' @ 'CD quality'
Cross hasn't aged musically in all that time, he doesn't sound a year older; he still has that youthful almost falsetto voice that became his trademark and he still obviously has a hunger for the sweet smell of success. 'The Cafe Carlyle Sessions' is somewhat of a re-visitation of some Cross 'biggies', a re-modelling, a re-working but not in the normal sense; here we find Cross in a much more jazzy place than before, here we have an acoustic based set of songs that've been given a mature and time-sensitive make-over. Apart from the genre cross-over here Cross hasn't changed one iota - he still sounds the consummate professional and he clearly puts his whole self into his music-making.
'The Cafe Carlyle Sessions' finds Christopher Cross in confident and ebullient mood; he sounds extremely comfortable in his work, he sounds perfectly at home in this nu-jazz place he's found, he sounds like the complete package once again. 'The Cafe Carlyle Sessions' is somewhat akin to a 'best of' compilation only with a difference; sure the fifteen songs here will sound familiar but by no means are they the same as they used to be. Cross has injected a whole new presence into each and every one of his great songs. Yes they're still recognisable and why shouldn't they be? But, Cross has given each one a new re-birth into a sophisticated musical place that seems to suit the big man's artistic tendencies - Cross seems to have rediscovered himself and his music and looks set to find himself a whole new set of friends and followers on the back of this excellent album.
'The Cafe Carlyle Sessions' by Christopher Cross proves that music isn't just a static medium, it's got heart and soul and it can be re-shaped to suit the times and/or trends. Christopher Cross may have matured but doesn't seem to have aged at all and his music is once again 'contemporary' - this is a very clever album that should see Christopher Cross once again in the spotlights.
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