What Michael Crawford was to the Phantom,
Carl Anderson surely is to the pop jazz ballad.
Anderson's rich and powerful vocalizing is an absolute treasure, with wondrous ballads like the simple message tune "If I Could," and more standard sentiments such as the title song, which is brought alive in colorful modulations and helped along by the talents of producers
Russ Freeman and
Andre Fischer, and masterful soloing by
Joe Sample,
Sam Riney,
Kirk Whalum, et al.
Anderson's strength is in the lush, romantic pieces, but he seems to enjoy jazzing out on the hip and quirky; "Hot Coffee" and mid-tempo gems like "Children of a Lesser God." After several flirtations with superstardom in various arenas, this brilliantly performed and produced disc seemed destined to bring
Anderson to greater heights. ~ Jonathan Widran