What is the worst thing that could happen to Peter Cincotti? It looks like teaming with David Foster and his over-blown productions is pretty bad. Peter, God bless him, is so talented, he can overcome most anything, but this was a big struggle for him. No wonder if took over a year to get released in this country. If the U.S. version is as overly-orchestrated as the international version, too bad.
I love Cincotti. This won't bring him down.

I originally heard "Goodbye Philedelphia" last summer, while I was still getting over a very painful breakup. As I listened to it, I immediately identified with his internal conflict, as I'm sure many others did. The song, in my mind, was brilliant, and so I quickly searched for more. I found the 3-track EP on iTunes, and downloaded them all. "Angel Town" was decent, but "Cinderella Beautiful" was at the same level as "Philedelphia"; somber, bittersweet, and nostalgic. I quickly discovered that these were tracks from an album that hadn't been released yet, and I eagerly awaited the whole thing. I also looked into his previous work, and yeah, he had a good voice, but what intrigued me was his writing, and there was very little of that before "East of Angel Town."

I kept listening to those two songs ("Philly" and "Cinderella"), and absorbing them. They seemed, to me, to be the sonic equivalent of scars: old wounds that once ran deep, and then healed, but were still visible. And as the release date for the album was pushed back, the tension grew, and my desire to get my hands on a copy heightened. Then I went to visit my sister in Europe, and rushed into a music store to pick up a copy.

I just wish I hadn't gotten myself so worked up over it.

Cincotti has proven himself to be a master of nostalgic songwriting, as indicated by the songs that I had heard before, as well as "December Boys" and "The Country Life". If the whole album had consisted of songs like those, this would be one of the most powerful, focused albums ever made. Unfortunately, most people probably can't go a whole hour listening to a guy singing about his memories of the past and the pain that he feels when he realizes that they're all gone, and so the rest of the songs feature a significantly different mood.

Now, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with that; most albums of any genre are collections of songs that have little or no connection to each other (with the exception of Pink Floyd, and a few others). However, the problem is that while Cincotti exells in melancholy, nostalgic songwriting, he seems trite and juvenile in other areas. The lyrics to "Make It Out Alive" sound like something an eight-year-old would have written, and Ubu was perhaps the most pointless song I've heard in years. At some points, the songs descend into downright-offensive territory. I thought that the Police's "Every Breath You Take" was the most obvious stalker song ever written, but "Always Watching You" takes the cake. And "Be Careful", well... it needs its own paragraph.

"Be Careful" is a song with such strong elements of chauvinism that they're not even veiled. In it, Cincotti expresses his discomfort with women doing things which he apparantly identifies as masculine actions, like picking up the check after dinner. He goes on to bring up the concepts of Original Sin and how women are supposed to be naturally more docile than men. Now, Cincotti is twenty-five; how did he manadge to grow up in the 1950's?! Was his head buried in the sand for his teenage years? For Tony Bennett or some other old-time crooner to sing this sort of song would be forgivable, because they come from a different era, but Cincotti is far too young to be old-fashioned.

It boggles me how an artist can seem so deep and jaded in one aspect of songwriting, and then five minutes later seem so shallow and juvenile. Hence the 3-star rating; brilliance combined with stupidity, and forming a mediocre whole.

"East of Angel Town" represents Cincotti's first album of all new material following the two successful album releases for the Concord label Peter Cincotti and On the Moon.
Since his eponymous debut album topped the jazz charts in 2003, the talented pianist and singer Peter has been a breath of fresh air with his mixture of wide-ranging jazz standards and original compositions winning fans around the world.
After working on the soundtrack for the film "December Boys", he is back with a new record that adds synthesisers, electric guitars and the occasional orchestra to his band.
It combines classic sensibilities with a contemporary edge that's certain to appeal to anyone who gets their musical kicks from the likes of Harry Connick Jr, Jamie Cullum and, when he turns his attention to pop, the likes of Maroon 5.
Here, however, a likeable voice and percussive piano are betrayed by martini bar funk and studio sheen.
Cincotti's insidious take on romance provides some memorable lines: "Put your mind into neutral/ close your eyes/ just be Kama Sutral", for instance.
It might not be popular with the jazz purists or some of his more hardcore fans as it sees a definite change in direction from the jazz infused first two albums, to a sounder which is nearer to upbeat piano pop.
The voice of course is still unmistakable in being his and his alone.
While probably not for everybody, it's always good to see an artists willing to take risks and this album shgould appeal to fans of Billy Joel and Jamie Cullum.
All told, "East Of Angel Town" is an excellent album and should further enhance Cincotti's growing reputation as a major artist.
Already hotly tipped in his homeland, the 23 year-old native New Yorker musician has released in Europe the first single "Goodbye Philadelphia", a symbolic song of loss full of evocative lines.
The album opener "Angel Town" is steeped with tinkling piano melodies, soaring vocals (that embrace normal and falsetto styles) and a poppy sensibility that really does give rise to Maroon 5 comparisons.
It's a song that was penned about the seductive nature of Los Angeles that's delivered with gusto.
The singer switches coastlines for second track "Goodbye Philadephia", the first single, an epic slow-builder that benefits from a more classic style of delivery and some cinematic leanings.
Vocally, Cincotti soars in high falsetto style during the sweeping chorus, reflecting the themes of yearning and loss.
There's a slick combo of blues and jazz over the piano melodies of "Be Careful", while New York is the focal point for the tale of love and loneliness that's "Cinderella Beautiful" - another effort that boasts a cinematic feel courtesy of its imagery-laden lyrics.
Just occasionally the album feels repetitive, possibly because of the near-constant reliance on piano-based melodies, but each time you think you have the measure of what he has to offer, he delivers another showstopper that underlines his class.
These include the wonderfully poignant "December Boys", the rousing "Broken Children" and the shimmering "Witch's Brew' that slow-builds into something quite special.
Peter Cincotti is another jazz artist credited with broadening the appeal of the genre and this album is another collection of songs that boasts a wide crossover appeal.
It's a beguiling listen that consistently impresses...
My favourite tracks : "Angel Town", "Goodbye Philadelphia", "Witch's Brew", "Broken Children", and "December Boys".
Twentysomething
In the Mind of Jamie Cullum
Back in Town
Call Me Irresponsible
Last First Kiss

Being a Jazz Piano player all my life, my suggestion is to listen to
Jamie Cullum. Englands version of cincotti.

John W. Fleuy
Rhinelander,wi

Took a few listenings before I really started to appreciate it. Now I can't seem to listen to it enough! I own both of Peter Cincotti's previous CDs, and this one is very different. My suggestion: Listen to it 5 times before making a final judgement. I bet you'll be singing along and loving it by then...if you don't completely when you first listen to it, that is.