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ON THE RECORD: Lea Salonga in Cinderella and Scott Alan's "Keys"
By Steven Suskin
22 Dec 2008
KEYS: THE MUSIC OF SCOTT ALAN [Billy-Roo Records]
Scott Alan released a CD of his songs last year called "Still Dreaming Wide Awake," which was well received by listeners and by this column. He has followed up with more of the same, under the title "Keys." Alan's attractive songs are filled with interesting ideas and often soaring emotions; in song after song, the composer/lyricist develops self-contained personal dramas.
These are songs of love, or in most cases lost love; while no overall theme is expressed in the accompanying booklet, every character seems to be lamenting an affair that has ended. Can't Mr. Alan write a happy, cheerful song once in a while? There is, actually, a charmingly peppy number included, "His Name," although it is about — literally — love lost; the gal can't remember the boy's name, and she lost his phone number. The rest of the songs are of a more adult nature, and each of the 13 selections tends to engross the listener. But nobody seems too happy.
As on his debut album, Mr. Alan is well represented by his friends. While the art includes photos of Mr. Alan at the keyboard, he neither plays nor sings on this album. No need to, with the likes of Randy Graff, Julia Murney, Tituss Burgess, Jenn Colella, Lisa Brescia, Heidi Blickenstaff, Norm Lewis, Kate Wetherhead, Megan Hilty and Sutton Foster on hand to do it for him. All of whom help to make "Keys" a worthy successor to "Still Dreaming Wide Awake," and one which serves to further enhance the notion that Mr. Alan is someone to keep our eyes, and ears, on.
(Steven Suskin is author of the forthcoming "The Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations" (Oxford) as well as "Second Act Trouble," "Show Tunes," and the "Opening Night on Broadway" books. He can be reached at Ssuskin@aol.com)
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