Regen's voice is a pure expression, finding a soulful express lane on songs like "Just Waiting for Now" and "One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue." One foot is solid in the singer-pianist tradition while the other is feeling for new ground. With special guests Andy Summers, Benmont Tench, David McAlmont, and others, the musicality is well-covered. On everything else, Jon Regen has earned the spotlight. Let it shine.
Those heading for the holiday sales won’t go far wrong by buying any of these impressive CDs: Paul Simon’s literate “So Beautiful or So What”; U.S. singer Eilen Jewell’s bluesy “Queen of the Minor Key”; Drake’s crooned “Take Care’; Danger Mouse’s filmic “Rome”; Leslie Feist’s moody “Metals” or pianist Jon Regen’s jazzy “Revolution.”
The jazz instrumentalist turned pop singer sings with smoky soul, his voice just a touch rumpled with bemusement on the wry piano come-on “Delores,” and weariness over a breathy accordion part on “One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue.” "She’s Not You (But Tonight She’ll Have to Do)” burbles along on Wurlitzer organ and roiling guitar while Regen dials in a vocal tone reminiscent of mid-solo career Sting. Although Regen doesn’t have the name recognition of some of his collaborators, Revolution is good enough to merit a qualification in that regard: Regen doesn’t have their name recognition yet.
Jon Regen is a man who knows his instrument. The piano isn’t great for rocking out unless you’re Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard, but it’s perfect for sophisticated, slightly retro pop songs. Regen writes his with the smart, jazzy feel of Ben Folds or Randy Newman, and on such tunes as “She’s Not You (But Tonight She’ll Have to Do)” and “One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue,” he gets to play his favorite character: the bemused, brokenhearted New York City night owl.
With a deceptive simplicity at times Revolution needs further listening to reveal itself. *** THREE STARS.
A wall-to-wall celebration of song and masterful musicianship. Jon Regen here emerges with a smart-as-hell pop album. The 10-song set opens with the titular track, one of several here that calls to mind the master craftsmanship of Marc “Walking in Memphis” Cohn but with elements that are more solidly and authentically fused to southern soul.
The title track of this jazz pianist turned singer/songwriter's latest album is actually a wry love song, at once bluesy and plucky.
A jazz piano player with plenty of pop singer/songwriting skills, Jon Regen spent 17 months in seven cities and two continents working on this album. It’s an enjoyable set, laid down against an organic background with Regen’s soulful vocals at the forefront. The easy-going “Just Waiting for Now,” was co-written with Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, while other impressive collaborators show up along the way, especially guitarist Andy Summers who turns in some very tasty work on “Spirits of the Soul.”
Jon Regen is a skilled jazz pianist; he knows his way around advanced improv and has gigged extensively. But he has a yen for the power of lyrics, and is rolling through a career that’s based on pop songwriting. On the new Revolution (JRM), he makes his catchiest and most insightful disc so far. As one tune spills into another, a blend of Billy Joel and Randy Newman bubbles up, with romance and wit vying for equal room.
With Revolution, Regen has shifted into a magnificent new gear that fuses the earlier components with the sort of material you'd expect of Harry Connick, Jr., and Donald Fagen. There's a wit and assurance on tunes like the title cut and "She's Not You (But Tonight She'll Have to Do)," and a gorgeous sense of melody on "Spirits of the Soul" and "One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue."
Jon Regen is dripping with talent. While he’s perhaps most connected in people’s minds to the piano and keyboards, it’s Regen’s voice that ultimately sets him apart from his peers. Witness a song like “Delores,” which evokes the raw descriptive power of early Springsteen or Waits with a heady brew of piano and organ washing over the whole. Revolution really does feel revolutionary in its combination of craftsmanship and genuine soul.
Singer-songwriter and pianist Jon Regen has an original jazz-soul style on Revolution (JRM) that leverages the introspective Saturday-night spirit of Billy Joel and Leon Russell. Regen's approach on his album's originals is smoky, with a gentleness that's missing from many new albums today. Regen's quite a songwriter. And singer. And keyboard player.
Regen’s beguiling new album Revolution exudes cool sophistication without sacrificing catchy accessibility, with guest appearances by Andy Summers of the Police and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers.
**** FOUR STARS. Revolution is Jon Regen’s second straight great album. “She’s Not You (But Tonight She’ll Have to Do)” has strong hooks and should be a hit.
Now, with Revolution, he delivers his most accomplished album to date. Its 10 tracks are uniform testament to Regen’s richly fulfilling maturation as both singer and songwriter (who also remains a top-drawer pianist). Summers returns for “Spirits of the Soul,” superlative among these ten excellent pieces, its haunted deconstruction of a vanquished relationship as potent as anything crafted by the guitarist’s Police-mate, Sting.
Regen’s exceptional new album Revolution features guests a-plenty like Benmont Tench from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Andy Summers of The Police and Rutle Ricky Fataar, not to mention a co-write with Grammy winner Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20.
On his suave and soulful new album, Revolution, you can still hear some of his jazz background, but mostly what you hear is someone who has developed into a supremely accomplished pop artist. Think Harry Connick Jr., or maybe Billy Joel without the bombast. Regen may not be as well-known as some of his accompanists - Andy Summers, Benmont Tench - but this album shows he deserves to be.
Revolution is often strongly reminiscent of Steve Winwood, Randy Newman and Bruce Hornsby’s undersung post-Range sets (“Harbor Lights,” “Hot House”). Regen won’t show off the way Hornsby does, but when he squeezes a solo into his compositions, it’s always thoughtful and inventive enough to broadcast his training. He’s gathered a stellar cast of accompanists, but the spotlight is on Regen, and the genial pianist makes the most of it. An adult-pop winner.
“One Part Broken, Two Parts Blue,” and “Spirits of the Soul” reflect the sensitive side of Regen’s creativity, and are the kind of songs that are destined to become pop standards.
On Revolution, Regen builds on his strengths, recording 10 original songs that expertly straddle the fence between jazz and pop. One of the album's best tunes, "She's Not You (But Tonight She'll Have to Do)," is easily one of the catchiest pop songs I've heard in a while. Add in appearances by such music luminaries as Andy Summers and Benmont Tench, and you have a seriously solid release.
Revolution effortlessly straddles the lines of commercial viability, legit authenticity, and indie. In short, it's the album that breaks and marks the beginning of Jon's musical legacy. By the end of 2011, we will be claiming joint custody of the musician, if not declaring him one of our own outright.
**** FOUR STARS. It's hard not to be drawn in by Regen's emotional ballad "Better Days" and the bittersweet "Photographs of You." Recommended.
Regen, a singer-songwriter in only the best possible way, is a soulful performer, fluid and engaging on vocals and piano..."Better Days" and "The Last Song" are the kinds of heart-rending piano-led ballads Chris Martin of Coldplay would cut off all ties to the Paltrow tribe to have written.
This pianist's no amateur: His CD "Let It Go" (Sandfish) features Andy Summers of the Police and Martha Wainwright. There are hints of Bruce Hornsby and Van Morrison about it and the songwriting lifts it a notch.
Tracks range from the Randy Newmanesque "It´s Alright By Me", which sounds like a strong contender for the next Pixar movie soundtrack, to a brace of tunes featuring guitarist Andy Summers - the hypnotic "Close To Me" and "Finding My Way Back to Me" (whose opening riff sounds like a very close relation of "Don´t Stand So Close To Me"). Regen displays an impressively wide pianistic touch, hitting the piano so hard in the title track you can almost feel the vibration of the strings, caressing the notes in the touching ballad "Better Days".