Peter Cincotti

PETER CINCOTTI
PETER CINCOTTI

Concord Records

Peter Cincotti is one of the younger generation of jazz performers who, along with such personalities as Jane Monheit and Diana Krall, is poised to make a big impression on audiences who don't normally listen to jazz. The Columbia student wears a suit, plays swinging piano, and sings a repertoire that appears, at first glance, largely designed to appeal to the parents or grandparents of his generation. Yet he is determined to help expose folks in his age bracket to something besides Britney and Creed. He respects the performers who have come before him and has worked with a dazzling array of teachers, including Lev Natochenny and Ellis Marsalis.

Still, there are those who are ready to decry Cincotti as the product of savvy marketing and a certain amount of hype, and there is some hype at work. There are those who've touted him as a young Sinatra, probably on the strength of his work in Jack Lewin's musical "Our Sinatra." There's also the fact that Cincotti was "discovered," at the age of seven, by Harry Connick, Jr. Some feel that Cincotti is designed to be the new Connick now that the mainstream public has supposedly tired of the old Connick. Cincotti does sing a lot like Connick, his phrasing as well as his voice sometimes emulating his mentor to a distracting extent. I sincerely doubt, however, that Cincotti considers himself the "new" anything. In many respects he comes across as more of a cabaret singer than a jazz vocalist, which is not a put down, just a question of style. There are many who wish that his first album concentrated more on his piano work and less on his singing, and I've found myself thinking that at times as well. But the fact is, you don't get a lot of shots at success in the record business these days, so you might as well put it all out there right off the bat.

Cincotti has a pleasant voice, can ably interpret the material he chooses to sing, and sings in tune--the rest he can learn over time from a vocal coach and through plain experience. Meantime, his Phil Ramone-produced debut album is definitely worthy of the music-buying public's attention. There are some performances that are nice enough yet don't make any great impression, but those that do stand out make a very favorable impression and make one anxious to hear what Cincotti will do next time out, or maybe a few years from now. That he is interested in writing is a good thing, a sign that Cincotti is interested in the structure of songs and in how they're put together. "I Changed the Rules," the album's opener, is a swinging mid-tempo affair with a nice set of changes for Cincotti and tenor saxophonist Scott Kreitzer to solo over. Cincotti’s mother penned the lyrics, and while they're not perfect, they do provide a comfortable vehicle for Peter's voice. Next up is a slower "Comes Love" on which Cincotti sings the melody in a series of languid phrases over David Finck's sultry bass. Drums and piano kick in at the bridge and lead to a Kreitzer solo that allows Cincotti to display his talent at backing a soloist. Peter follows this up with a brief solo before coming back in with a vocal at the bridge to close out the number. It's a good performance, but not a great one. "Are You The One," a song Peter originally wrote when he was 13 and revamped a bit for this recording, has a nice, buoyant melody, one that it is easy to imagine being performed by an instrumental artist--say, Paul Desmond. It's the most memorable of the three Cincotti originals on the album, and a pleasurable listen.

On "Sway" Cincotti really hits his stride, fitting the Dean Martin hit with a sultry boss nova rhythm that is outlined first by a set of block piano chords that recalls the vamp on Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage." Here Cincotti sounds languid and sensual, an effect slightly missed on the earlier "Comes Love." The song's harmonic structure allows Cincotti to stretch a bit on his solo, and he hits the mark with gusto. There's also a nice use of dynamics, as Peter builds, for the first time, to a truly powerful vocal moment on the song's bridge. "Miss Brown" is the kind of swinging number that one imagines going over really well at the Algonquin and other sophisticated venues where Cincotti has been playing of late. It's the kind of song that Cincotti can play seemingly effortlessly, and it is easy on the ear as well, going down like a single malt scotch. "Lovers, Secrets, Lies", the third Cincotti original on the album, is a bit world-weary for a performer of Cincotti's years ("As soon as it was finished, I walked around the house singing it like Tony Bennett" he says in the album notes) and it interrupts the developing momentum of the album a bit, but it is a winning composition, nonetheless.

Coupling "Fool on the Hill" with "Nature Boy" is an interesting idea, and it comes off quite well. "Both songs are musically and lyrically related" says Peter "and their combination creates a blend of different musical eras." Quite true, though it might have been nice to hear the two songs mixed together a bit more. Still, it's a nice twist that adds to the listener's enjoyment. "Ain't Misbehavin'" is somewhat over recorded, though it is a great song and the temptation to offer one's own rendition must be a powerful force on any singer/pianist. Unfortunately, Cincotti's performance blows neither hot nor cold; it's good, but there's no "added something" to catch the listener's attention, despite some very nice piano work. Also a tad strange is Cincotti's decision to cover "Come Live Your Life With Me," the theme from The Godfather, but it's a gamble that pays off, as his rendition is exquisitely beautiful and heartfelt. Here he is able to muster an interpretation that is far beyond his age, filled with tinges of insight, regret, heartache, and love that one can only imagine. It's a really good performance and one that bodes very well for Mr. Cincotti's future vocal endeavors.

The Blood, Sweat & Tears hit "Spinning Wheel" might seem like an unlikely candidate for Cincotti's solo piano, but it proves just the right thing at the right time in the album. His stride version of the number recalls the work of one of Cincotti's influences, Erroll Garner, and it makes you wish you could listen to more of Peter's solo piano work (which you probably can if you catch him in concert). "You Stepped Out of a Dream" is a song Nat King Cole recorded, and Cincotti's faithful and solid rendition recalls some of the great early work of another Cole aficionado, Diana Krall. Overall, Cincotti's first recorded effort displays the same type of promise that Krall's work did before she detoured into the overly heavy string arrangements of Look of Love. I think it is to Cincotti and Phil Ramone's credit that they opted for the simple sound of a jazz trio, augmented with tenor sax on several numbers. It provides the same kind of intimacy that Peter has displayed in his live performances and that have so wowed patrons at the Algonquin. The album closes with "Rainbow Connection," a gorgeous song by Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams that was written for the Muppets' Kermit the Frog to sing. Performing solo, singing and accompanying himself on piano, Cincotti allows the song's simple dignity to come through, without any distracting flourishes in either his vocal or accompaniment.

In the end, one is left with the impression of a great new talent on the jazz scene, and it certainly is welcome. While Cincotti may need some time for his vocal talents to mature to match the Sinatra comparisons, there is every indication that he will only continue to grow as a singer, songwriter, and pianist. Given the lofty height from which he is embarking on his career, one can only conclude that we can expect really great things from Peter Cincotti in the future. And the present ain't too shabby, either.