Movie Magic: Great Songs From The Movies
Jazz Hang, 2024
8/10
Listen to Movie Magic: Great Songs From The Movies
The vocalists Jack Wood and Nichaud Fitzgibbon come together for 16 tracks most of us have heard before, and they’ve got an all star cast with them for the heartfelt selections.
The cozy “Make Someone Happy” starts the listen with Fitzgibbon’s lovely voice alongside Wood’s smooth pipes, where Ray Smith’s dreamy flute enters, and it isn’t long until “Speaking Of Happiness” welcomes James Sherlock’s agile guitar and Dave Beck’s well timed drums that suit Fitzgibbon’s soulful pipes.
Moving closer to the middle, the peppy “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” benefits much from Matt Clohesy’s playful bass and Mark Fitzgibbon’s lively keys, while the gorgeous rendition of “Moon River” emits much elegance via Sara Bauman’s graceful violin and Fitzgibbon’s powerful pipes.
Arriving near the end, “The Shining Sea” makes great use of Craig Larson’s mature piano, as Wood’s expressive voice impresses, and “It Had To Be You” exits with Jay Lawrence’s light drums and Joe Lano’s intimate guitar for the sublime duet.
These songs sure do sound great in Wood and Fitzgibbon’s hands, and the beauty and nostalgia they radiate in both ballad and swimming settings is as memorable as the movies they soundtrack themselves.
Travels well with: Matt Panayides Trio- With Eyes Closed; Doug MacDonald- Live At The Rancho Mirage Library