On being unique, a singer's singer

It’s been a treat watching the early auditions of Season One on American Idol Rewind. A particular thrill was the never-before-seen audition of Justin Guarini singing “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.” It didn’t surprise us he decided to punk the judges with the whistling before launching into the song. Justin is a funny guy at heart. But, we’ll save for another day our thoughts about how his easy-going manner has been mistaken for cockiness by shallow thinkers.

This blog, we’re going to talk about being unique, and being a singer’s singer.

“Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” is a familiar song. Everyone knows Otis Redding’s version. It’s a classic. So, these young folks were trying their best to sing it like Otis did. Except Justin. As Randy Jackson told Justin, he “took some good liberties with the song.” The song spoke to Justin in its own way, and he delivered it in his own way. Justin's version wasn’t that far removed from Otis’ version; it stayed true to the core. What this demonstrates is that Justin is an artist who understands where a song is coming from yet knows how to make it unique. That’s why so many singers fail when they try to take liberties - they simply don’t have that instinct.

Justin’s version of “Get Here” in Pasadena followed this same unique path. There is a reason that FoxesOnIdol designated this performance as the only truly “lights out” performance Idol has produced. The gut-wrenching sense of longing he created with those notes he sang, having no musical accompaniment to bolster him, and the way he left his audience at first shaking their heads, awestruck, and then on their feet cheering - no one has ever come close to creating an organic moment like that. The closest may have been season three winner Fantasia Barrino’s performances of Summertime, but even that was not truly organic as it relied on the contrivance of lying on the stage while performing with an orchestra behind her.

For all of what it offers, American Idol has not really been about finding unique talent. The winners (again, with the exception of Barrino) have been for the most part singers who are rather interchangeable with other artists who are out there performing. Indeed, despite its successes, the second album of the first season winner was not infrequently described by critics as being “generic,” or in one turn of phrase by Rolling Stone, sounding like someone "wearing her big sister's hand-me-downs." The winner of the most recent season similarly sounds very much like another very popular singer, Michael McDonald. The record label loves this about those singers, because it makes marketing them an easy equation.

Who does Justin sound like? (For that matter, who does he look like?) He has a bit of Marvin Gaye going on (pun intended) in his tenor range. Check out Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” for a quick comparison. Still, Justin’s voice has a unique creaminess, and his lower register is more reminiscent of Nat King Cole. The problem with both those comparisons, however, is that those artists haven’t recorded for a long time. If you’re going to be similar to someone, on Idol it pays to be similar to an artist current in the minds of the viewers.

How clueless are music executives? When Justin sat down with Clive Davis, supposed music genius, Davis told Justin he wanted him to record an album of “white soul.” Justin should have won an award for not pointing out how disgustingly ignorant Mr. Davis was. We aren’t so polite.

But, those who love a singer’s singer get it. Check out this blog, where the author, a self-professed “singer at heart,” makes this comment:

Justin Guarini has got to be the most robbed candidate to come off American Idol . . . [b]ut a talent the size of this guy will always find a public, and these days it's in the world of indie jazz that Justin unleashes his mind blowing vocal prowess, as with this performance of "My Funny Valentine". Heaven.

It was heaven. Click over and watch it if you haven’t. It is way beyond anything you’ll see on Idol. Idol favors singers who belt out their glory-notes in the 1:30 the show gives them to perform. Justin, he’s someone you want to see in concert, where his “mind blowing vocal prowess” can be unleashed. Oh, by the way, he did that on the AI tour. Check out these videos and see what we mean:

AI Tour "Get Here"

AI Tour For Once in My Life

AI Tour Let's Stay Together