Josh Groban In Concert CD

Josh Groban's meteoric rise to stardom began when hit producer David Foster selected him as a last-minute replacement at the dress rehearsal for the 1999 Grammy Awards, where the then-17-year-old singer stood in for Andrea Bocelli in a duet with Celine Dion. The rest, as they say, is history. But can the precocious baritone truly compete with the more seasoned powerhouses of the Classical Crossover scene?

Groban's self-titled debut album validates Foster's prescience and proves that the young vocalist is more than able to hold his own. He moves confidently through an eclectic program with a poise that belies his youth and relative inexperience. He uses his warm voice to great effect in a variety of settings provided by veteran songwriters such as Richard Marx, Albert Hammond, Carole Bayer Sager, and Linda Thompson, among others. Highlights include a poignant reading of Don McLean's "Vincent," a dramatic account of the Neapolitan song "Canto Alla Vita" (featuring the Corrs), and a rock-anthem version of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (with Lili Haydn on violin), as well as "The Prayer," a soaring duet with fellow wunderkind Charlotte Church. With this debut, Groban delivers a crowd-pleasing effort that marks the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a stellar career.

In the wake of Andrea Bocelli's successful opera-pop crossover, young Josh Groban came along and added a crucially marketable element to the mix; that of a college-age heartthrob type destined to enchant listeners of the female persuasion from pre-teen to senior citizen. For the follow-up to his highly profitable 2001 debut, Groban chose to release a live album, all the better to further the feeling of intimacy already inherent in his emotive style. As IN CONCERT makes plain, Groban sounds equally committed and convincing whether he's making like Bocelli on "Un Amore Per Sempre" or delivering a stately version of Don McLean's '70s folk-pop classic "Vincent." He stirs the pot still further by taking on "The Prayer" as an elegant duet with none other than neo-soul queen Angie Stone, and it's as impressive to hear how well he blends with her as it is to note how well she adapts her voice and approach to the situation at hand. You can keep waiting for a misstep from this wunderkind if you want, but it sure doesn't seem likely to happen.

Humberto Gatica.

Engineers include: Felipe Elgueta, Humberto Gatica, Nick Marshall.

Personnel includes: Josh Groban (vocals); Angie Stone, Andrea Corr (vocals); John Williams (conductor); Lili Hayden (violin); David Foster (piano); Rhys Fulber (keyboards).

Personnel includes: Josh Groban, The Corrs, Charlotte Church (vocals); William Ross (conductor); Ramon Stagnaro, Dean Parks (guitar); Lili Hayden (violin, background vocals); Richard Marx (piano, keyboards); David Foster, Walter Afanasieff (keyboards); Curt Bisquera (drums); Rhys Fulber, Felipe Elgueta (programming); Efrat, Marco Marinangeli (background vocals).

Producers include: David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Toni Renis, Richard Marx,