Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tony Messina: This is What I Am

Tony Messina: This is What I Am

By AAJ Staff
January 20, 2003
View read count

Consisting of new and old entries in the Great American Songbook, vocalist Tony Messina’s debut spans a range of styles. It catches the subtle spice of Jobim's "One Note Samba" (including a clever piano sampling of "The Summer Knows"), mellows into the Gershwins' remorseful "Isn't It a Pity," changes tempo for "Come Rain or Come Shine," swings into a bouncy take on Van Morrison's romantic plead "Moondance" and takes a fiery jungle tour through Harold Arlen's "Old Black Magic" (complete with a Sinatra and Dorsey-esque full-swing coda), taking the listener through a gambit of emotions and styles along the way.

The only constant, it seems, is Messina's talent and care in each and every performance. Every note is considered yet free. Every song digs into its own story and lets it fly. Such is especially the case with Messina's own compositions. From the cabaret opener "Wonders of the World" to the emotional title track and the more up-tempo (though no less meaningful) "It's a Loving World," Messina fits himself at least near the Songbook pantheon. While somewhat reminiscent, Messina's lyrics add a freshness and energy often lost and laid stale in these great old standards, revealing and building upon their inner secrets.

Personnel

Tony Messina

Album information

Title: This is What I Am | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: R&M

PREVIOUS / NEXT

One More Angel
< Previous

Eyes for You
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.