Arts & Entertainment

Press play on Joseph Leo Bwarie’s debut album ‘Nothin’ But Love’ and you are instantly transported to the 1950s; the Big Band era when lovely ladies swooned for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack was on the radio. Days started with mom’s homemade pancakes and ended with the family watching the Johnny Carson Show in front of a black and white television.

Fast forward 60 years and the music we listen to has transformed from triumphant arrangements to three and a half minutes of the same techno-beat pulsating on a single frequency. Yawn – when did our music lose its soul?

Bwarie is in the midst of a stunning career; you may know him from a variety of roles he has played on the big screen, some of the most recent being Valentine’s Day and Princess Diaries 2. If neither one of those titles rings your bell loudly enough, he is currently starring as Frankie Valli in the Broadway tour of Jersey Boys.

‘A Valley boy from CA who plays a Valli boy from NJ,’ reads Bwarie’s Twitter bio. “I’ve been playing the role of Frankie Valli for four years now,” says Bwarie, “knowing that I’ve been doing it that long, it still is shocking, knowing that I’m in the shoes that I’m in. That I embark on the journey of the Four Seasons every night – and the audience – they go nuts! The music is awesome. It’s still such an honor to be playing this living legend. This group [Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons] changed music history in America.”

He has been playing the role of Frankie Valli for so long (Jersey Boys was a part of Dallas Summer Musicals in 2008), people sometimes confuse Bwarie’s voice with Valli’s and are surprised to learn that he has a distinct singing voice all his own – in somewhat of a lower register.

His debut solo album Nothin’ But Love is a 13-track compilation of Bwarie’s picks from the Great American Songbook. “Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney; they were all singing the same songs but they were interpreting whatever arrangement was created for them. I love that at that time, it was about great songwriters and great singers.” He chose his songs wisely – the album is currently #5 on the iTunes Jazz chart.

Today’s singer-songwriters, those who write their lyrics down on paper and immediately dash to the guitar or piano to draw out their own melody, have seemingly taken the forefront of the music stratosphere. Nothin’ But Love is a strong nod to the brilliant songwriters from the 20^th century. “I am a singer – so when I got to explore that huge songbook, I thought, I want to do songs that I really love and maybe that aren’t as common as they are today,” he says.

Backed by an impressive 40-piece orchestra, the clarity of Bwarie’s voice is pure and flawless. With his impeccable technique, Bwarie’s stunning voice captivates the listener and invites them to experience something we haven’t heard from singers in decades; honest, heartfelt and romantic songs.

“My name is on the album and it is me the singer, but it was truly a collaboration with Charles [Calello, Producer, Arranger] – he has decades of experience – he’s the one who arranged “Sweet Caroline” for Neil Diamond – he worked with Sinatra and Paul Anka and Barbara Streisand. To get to work with someone who has this passion for music; it was great to have someone who knew the business inside and out, who could give me pointers along the way,” says Bwarie of the recording process.

His debut album includes soulful renditions of the romantic classics: “Night And Day” and “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” as well as Motown favorites “Stand By Me” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”. Says Bwarie of his selections, “I think the music that I made is definitely an expression of an ideal time in a part of very glamorous history.

It’s been amazing what Michael Bublé, Diana Krall and Harry Connick, Jr. have done today – they have been a part of a movement to bring this era back. I wanted to add my two cents – I wanted to do it my way. When it came to the song selections, I wanted it to have a modern feel, even though some of the songs are from the 1920s. They don’t feel old on the album, they feel fresh to me.”

Bwarie has a smooth way of combining the classics with modern songs, such as track “Umbrella/A Fella With An Umbrella.”

“Charles Calello kind of looked at me like, Rihanna? Yeah! It’s got a great song, melody and message – what if we take it apart and put it together ‘JLB’ style?

The 1940s and 2007 together – the new term is ‘mash up’ but we used to call it a ‘medley’ – songs don’t have to stand on their own, they can be a combination.”

Clearly inspired by the true entertainers who came before him, Bwarie knows exactly what time period he’d transport himself to, given the option. “Oh – easy,” he says, “I’d want to hang with Sinatra and Dean [Martin] and those guys. I’d want to be dressed up in the suits like Mad Men. I think there are aspects of that coming back to fashion.”

 

With a sparkling resumé, Bwarie is a true, rare talent. “My personal mantra is work hard and work so hard that there’s no reason that you couldn’t get whatever you wanted. A Broadway career is not easily achievable. It is completely doable if a person puts in all their energy, has a strong work ethic, and doesn’t let rejection bring them down,” is his advice to actors and actresses hoping to break into the entertainment business.

With a soulful mastery of his craft, Bwarie echoes a young Dean Martin on his debut album. “Deana Martin loved the record Nothin’ But Love; it was almost like Dean Martin patting me on the back saying, ‘Nice job kid.’”

Though Nothin’ But Love is Bwarie’s debut album, he presents his listener with a sublime execution and charming voice unparalleled by singers today.

 

Song to listen for: Bonus track “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” as made famous by The Shirelles

‘Nothin’ But Love’ is available on iTunes, CD Baby, AmazonMP3 and www.josephleobwarie.com

Jersey Boys arrives at the Winspear Opera House June 12-July 15, 2012.

Laura Stillo is the Arts & Entertainment Writer and Creative Social Media Producer for YouPlusDallas. Follow her on Twitter at @laurastillo.

Tags: Album Release, Broadway, Jersey Boys, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Laura Stillo, Nothin' But Love

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