Touring hep cat Michael Bublé takes – to paraphrase a cheesy, but irresistibly apropos saying -- a huge bite out of the Big Apple, starting July 29th. As would any self-respecting crooner, Bublé has planned an appearance at a casino – Verona, NY’s Turning Stone Casino, to be exact. July 30th , it’s off to ABC Studios for a performance for Live with Regis and Kelly. From July 31-August 2, Bublé will visit the home of the Rockettes; fittingly, the retro jazzer will do a three-night stint at NYC’s famed Radio City Music Hall.
With a rash of appearances in one of the US’s most intense cultural centers – NY, and, not to mention, Radio City Music Hall – I would say Bublé seems to be doing quite well for himself. Indeed, according to Warner Brothers, the singer’s tour is sold out. Bublé even landed on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown, and his latest CD, the tour’s raison d’être, Call Me Irresponsible, debuted at number two on the Billboard charts, peaked at number one, and is now resting well within the top 40.
Irresponsible features classic jazz/big band repertoire, such as "The Best is Yet to Come," and "That’s Life." Two of the tracks, "Everything," and "Lost," were written by Bublé and pianist Alan Chang, et. al. While I have to question some of the musical choices the singer has made (like the quirky, frantically paced, and just plain weird "Comin’ Home Baby," a duet with Boy’s II Men), there are some gems, here. Bublé’s rendition of "You Are Always on My Mind" is performed with heartbreaking delicacy and finesse. In contrast, the title track is a swinging, jaunty number sung with a sort of good-natured, mildly roguish charm. Though I don’t believe this to be as strong or cohesive as his preceding two albums, Bublé’s vocal virtuosity, artistry, and versatility remain intact.
Is it simply coincidental that one of Irresponsible’s tracks is "I’ve Got the World on a String?" You be the judge, though it certainly seems like ‘the tree of life has handed Bublé a plum.’
