Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible (CD 2007)

Reprise/ Warner presents "CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE", featuring pop vocalist of the millennium Michael Buble, the Vancouver crooner with his latest release with new material and some vintage standards --- Canadian crooner's third studio release, is about as responsible as it gets --- featuring an unforgettable youthful style that takes you back to the '40s, '50s and '60s --- listening to every tune on this album brings back memories of Nat King Cole (one of my favorite singers of all time), Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra as they were crooning favorite standards of the day --- Buble is a cross between James Dean and Elvis Presley in appearance, with the style and ability of Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin --- Michael has the uncanny ability to nail each track with his signature style and making it his own.

Buble's performance is impeccable, the renditions are simply from the heart --- one can hardly pick a stand out, entire recording draws on the swinging Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra at his back, plus slow tempos with blends of original sentiment and gorgeous melodies in the order in which they appear:

1. "The Best Is Yet to Come" (3:05) - (Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh) - One of Tony Bennett's all time greatest hits and Michael does it proud.

2. "It Had Better Be Tonight" (Meglio Stasera) (3:06) - (Mancini/Mercer/Migliacci) - Henry Mancini's catchy tune from "The Pink Panther", with a cool David Foster arrangement.

3. "Me and Mrs. Jones (4:33) - (Huff/Gamble/Gilbert) - Buble has a good thing going with this track

4. "I'm Your Man" (4:59) - (Leonard Cohen) - The beast won't go to sleep, has Buble bringing it home

5. "Comin' Home Baby" (3:27) - (Dorough/Tucker) - Buble shares the stage with Boyz II Men, with a Mel Torme classic tune

6. "Lost" (3:40) - (Buble/Arden/Chang) - An original song with a relationship that Buble puts behind him with this heartfelt lyrical masterpiece

7. "Call Me Irresponsible" (3:16) - (Cahn/Van Heusen) - Big hit for Jack Jones but move over, Buble is taking this one on and filling those big shoes nicely

8. "Wonderful Tonight" (4:12) - (Eric Clapton) - (duet with Ivan Lins) - And then she asks Buble and Lins, Do I look alright ... they reply we feel wonderful cause we see the love light in your eyes

9. "Everything" (3:33) - (Buble/Change/Amy Foster Gilles) - a Buble original sets this album apart from the rest, youe every song, and I sing along cause you're my everything

10. "I've Got the World on a String" (2:47) - (Arlen/Koehler) - Lifes a wonderful thing as long as I hold that string

11. "Always on My Mind" (4:30) - (James/Thompson/Christopher) - Girl I'm so sorry I was blind, you were always on my mind

12. "That's Life" (4:15) - (Gordon/Thompson) - Many times I thought of cutting out, but my heart won't buy it

13. "Dream" (5:05) - (Johnny Mercer) - Doesn't get any better with one of my all time favorite songwriters and his classic 1944 tune, with the best arranger on the planet Johnny Mandel

Special footnote, Bublé was born in Burnaby, British Columbia --- He is of Italian descent with dual citizenship in Italy, graduated from Cariboo Hill Secondary School --- Bublé grew up listening to his grandfather's collection of jazz records --- Bublé highlights the importance of his grandfather in encouraging his musical tastes. "My grandfather was really my best friend growing up --- He was the one who opened me up to a whole world of music that seemed to have been passed over by my generation ---