My Book of Love  (Audio CD) 
by Phil Perry

Veteran vocalist Phil Perry has an amazing range and in the past has used his lowest lows and highest falsettos to jarring effect. My Book of Love shows the same passion but demonstrates admirable restraint as well. "My Book of Love" has a buoyant hip-hop-meets-Latin-rhythms vibe. Other tunes, as with Barry Eastmond on the dreamy "Closer to Heaven," are slick, machine-generated productions that keep the groove under Perry's sweet emotion. Much more artistically impressive--though perhaps not as radio friendly--are the graceful, soaring ballad "To Fall in Love" (featuring all live instrumentation and an eight-piece string section) and the similarly elegant ode to seasonal love "(A Postcard In) Winter." Musically and lyrically, those tunes have what it takes to become standards, and they feature admirably subtle productions by Lee Curreri and Gary Brown, respectively. Curreri also employs the orchestra on an old Bell-Creed classic, "You're as Right as Rain," on which Perry uses his high vocal tone to simulate the old Stylistics sound. Another highlight is the catchy closer "Only Want to Be with You," on which Perry duets with funky, contemporary-jazz pianist Roger Smith. A little more jazzy playing like Smith's could have made this good project even better. --Jonathan Widran