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Those who have heard Toledo-area vocalist Chris Joseph will know his command of jazz standards. Perhaps best known for his work singing with the Skip Turner Band, Joseph’s musical portfolio has many elements. He truly it all: performing; recording; playing multiple instruments, including guitar, bass and piano; even teaching voice.
In November of last year he expanded his already extensive recording catalogue with his first dedicated Broadway album — “Way Off Broadway, Vol. 1.” Available at Hip to the Groove in downtown Sylvania (along with many of Joseph’s other CDs), “Way Off Broadway” pays tribute to musical theater over 16 tracks. As with all of his previous albums, area musician John Cleveland produces; Joseph does the singing and Cleveland orchestrates and performs the instrumentals.
Give My Regards…
A glance at the track list reveals several themes – intentional or serendipitous – that provide a window into Joseph’s relationship to these songs. “Corner of the Sky,” “Any Dream Will Do,” and “The Impossible Dream” are all about imagining and reaching toward what you want. “My Favorite Things,” “On a Clear Day,” and the cheeky closer “Applause” touch on ideas of being bolstered by things you care about and the beauty of the world around you. In interviews with outlets like Sylvania Advantage, Joseph has waxed poetic about his love for Broadway standards, which shines through as much in his song selection as his singing.
Cleveland’s arrangements, for their part, are simple, but effective. His bass playing anchors the instrumentation and is supplemented by digital horns, strings and keyboard. While the MIDI instruments may lessen the listener’s experience on Golden Age Broadway numbers that beg for a full orchestra, the instrumentation is particularly successful in jazzier numbers like “My Favorite Things” and “A Time for Love.”
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Reaching the Unreachable Star
Joseph’s croon is an enjoyable listen throughout, but “The Impossible Dream” is the standout track. Don Quixote’s iconic song from Man of La Mancha is legendary for a reason; it transforms the tragic and often farcical character into a heroic figure and allows the audience to see the world through his eyes. The song is all contradictions, talking about winning the un-winnable fight and reaching the unreachable star, illustrating that the point of Quixote’s life is not in the success, but in the striving.
Anyone with artistic ambitions will know that quixotic feeling well, understanding the great challenge of carving out a life pursuing the arts that, in this day and age, feels more and more unattainable. While I don’t presume to know how much or little those themes resonate with Joseph, he brings an undeniable defiance and fire to his performance that is less present on many of the record’s other cuts. That heightens further to the emotional impact.
Throughout the album Joseph is at his best when he reaches up into his higher register, where his bell-clear tone and gentle vibrato are given the chance to shine through, like moments in a starry-eyed rendition of “On a Clear Day” or on “A Time for Love.” On “Way Off Broadway” Chris Joseph takes a detour from jazz standards to pay homage to the show tunes that have been a mainstay through his life. The result is a love letter to a truly American institution.
CDs Available at Hip to the Groove Boutique, 5665 Main St, Sylvania, OH 43560.
CDs available at Richard’s Music on Central, 5806 Central Ave.
Chris Joseph performs with the Skip Turner Band. Free. Various Locations. facebook.com/ChrisJosephMusiq.
