Bocelli’s Cinema up close

I missed Andrea Bocelli’s Cinema concert at the Arena last week because it was the only night I had to watch Les Miserables at the Theater in Solaire. I felt sad but just a little, little bit. And today, I am very happy to say that even that little bit is now totally gone.

This is because I now have the complete Cinema concert on DVD with Bocelli in sharp close-ups with perfect visuals and sound and which I can watch in the comfort of my room without having to worry about the horrendous traffic of Manila and the agony of parking, parking and then getting out of the MOA parking, parking then getting home with horror tales of parking and traffic and the magic of Bocelli’s music all forgotten.

Seriously though, I think all Bocelli fans, including those who were fortunate enough to have seen his recent show, should get their hands on this special edition copy of Cinema. Produced by David Foster, Umberto Gatica and Tony Renis, the audio CD version of this collection of songs from the movies that was released late last year, is a real gem. The world’s most loved tenor truly made those cinema songs sound more beautiful than we all remember.

That album was followed a few days ago by the two-disc set Andrea Bocelli’s Cinema from MCA Universal. This one is made up of the CD and of the DVD of the Cinema concert special filmed at The Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Live recording is now as good and in the hands of competent technicians, even better than the ones done in the studio. Cinema is one of these. It also has that nice warmth and spontaneity generated by a great artist interacting with his audience.

Besides, this performance has musical arrangements by the now always described as, the legendary, David Foster, who also plays piano and sometimes joins Bocelli on stage. These two first got together for The Prayer with Celine Dion some 20 years ago and since then have from time to time come up with recordings to cherish for a long time. Cinema is certainly one of them.

Also present are screen luminaries like John Travolta and Andy Garcia to introduce themes from Italian composers and Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw to bring back memories of their memorable pairing in Love Story with Bocelli’s rendition of Historia de Amor (Where Do I Begin). 

I missed Ol’ Man River from Showboat in the concert line-up.  It would have been nice to hear what Bocelli will do with his low tones. But I am glad that my favorite, the sexy Por Una Cabeza, made the cut. This is the tango that Al Pacino as a blind war hero danced to in Scent of a Woman. 

Bocelli also performs Maria from West Side Story; La Chanson de Lara (Somewhere My Love) from Dr. Zhivago; Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s; E Piu-ti Penso, a duet with Ariana Grande of songs from Once Upon a Time in America and Malena; Be My Love originally by Mario Lanza from The Toast of New Orleans; The Music of The Night from The Phantom of the Opera.

Brucia La Terra (Speak Softly Love) from The Godfather; No Llores Por Mi Argentina (Don’t Cry for Me Argentina) with ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger from Evita; L’Amore e una Meravigliosa from Love is a Many Splendored Thing; Mi Mancherai from Il Postino (The Postman); Cheek to Cheek with Veronica Berti from Top Hat; and Sobridi Amore Vai from Life is Beautiful.

Without the grand intensity associated with opera singing, I find a sweet, easy charm in a classical tenor doing pop. This is what happens to Bocelli with the famiIiar melodies in Cinema. I think that this is something he should do more often. And given the treasure trove just waiting for him to explore in Hollywood, a Part 2 or 3 or more should be in the offing. And I hope soon.

Billy Paul, 80

Sad news. One more loss. Billy Paul, the soul artist whose rare vocal technique turned the song Me And Mrs. Jones into a big hit and R&B classic, died last April 24, from cancer in his home in Blackwood, New Jersey. He was 80 years old. 

Pop music lore says that when asked about his unique singing style, Paul explained that he originally wanted to play the saxophone. When that did not happen, he simply switched to singing but breathing in the same way.