Thursday, 19 November 2015

Joseph Leo Bwarie - A Little Christmas EP


36 DAYS TIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy A Little Christmas EP here (Amazon UK)

It wasn't just that Joseph Leo Bwarie was in Jersey Boys that caused me to check out his new holiday EP - A Little Christmas. It was also just how gosh darn suave and cool he looks on the front cover. After a fleeting realisation of that I'll never have that much swagger when wearing a tux, I checked out the tunes and realised that when Joseph sings, you feel like you're part of the in-crowd; a convivial experience that leaves you feeling happy and bright - and yes, a little more (wintry ice) cool than before! He takes you on a sleigh ride through four songs that explore the real meaning of Christmas and unveil not only his love for this time of year, but also his hopes for the future. It indelibly proves that Auntie Mame was right - we all need a little Christmas...

The EP begins with a stirring take on the now-seasonal standard, Grown Up Christmas List. A composition by David Foster and Linda Thomas Jenner, the lyrics explore the state of the world today and how it could be a better place for us all. Sadly, they are still just as relevant twenty-five years later and make no less of an impact, thanks to Joseph's nuanced delivery. The song deserves and demands a delicate balance by the child-like wonder we all once felt for the most wonderful time of the year and the weary realisation that this has slipped away. Anything too much either way damages the emphatic yet optimistic wish of the narrative. Joseph manages this balance perfectly. He has a sense of awe in his voice at the reflections to his early days, nicely accompanied by a delicate piano refrain and shimmering bells. Everything amps up the power in the chorus. however, and his conviction of lyrics like "no more lives torn apart" really give a sense of authority and finality. It's a rousing opening that has you eager for more. It's a more uptempo moment next with Jingle Bells in Manhatten. It's an ebullient affair that mixes the well known seasonal romp with a chorus that feels like it was lifted from a grandiose production at the Rockefeller Center on Christmas Eve. The arrangement is vibrant and vivid, Joseph's singing joyful and triumphant. He never gets lost in the sumptuous backdrop of horns and percussion, piano and bass - rather he guides the melody of the song with charismatic ease. His backing vocalists give Rosemary Clooney realness, their voices beautifully textured (an art that could do with being more prominent in pop music these days). It's a glorious number that makes you want to grab the one you love and kick up your heels with unbridled glee.

Quiet Christmas brings us back to a more pensive Joseph - and the song is so innately elegant and graceful that it radiates like the brightest star in the firmament. Emotions are always heightened at Christmas - and this means loneliness and heartbreak is that much more keen. Joseph does a soulful job of describing the merriment of the season and detailing how it highlights the pathos of his situation. Once again, he's partnered by a heavenly piano melody and gently simmering instrumental that really allows the lyrics and his aching performance to shine. It makes you want to reach out and hug the poor fella. I've always enjoyed a song that, even when melancholy, seems so organic and honest - and this is up there with the finest. It's also the perfect lead in to What Are You Doing (New Year's Eve)? ~ placed directly after, as if to give the listener some hope for the romantic fortunes of one Mr Bwarie. He's accompanied by actual living legend Bucky Pizzarelli, a jazz guitarist whose contribution to music can not be undervalued. It's a glorious languorous instrumental that allows the song to breathe, and the yearning nature of JLB's nuanced vocals to be felt in every single note he sings. The guy has bought seasonal emotion into your very living room, pulling at your treasured memories, sharing in your thoughtful reflections and leaving you with a sincere and earnest very merry Christmas message. Excellent.

**Ghosts of Christmas Past**
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