The swinging Michael Buble

Even while he was getting the world all revved up over his latest discovery Josh Groban, record producer, arranger, composer and star-maker David Foster was already dropping hints about something exciting that he had been working on in his Vancouver studio.

"I have a new artist," he proferred during an interview some months ago. "He is Canadian and his name is Michael Buble. He is young and very promising."

"Is he anything like Josh Groban?"

"No, he swings."

Now that Buble, (pronounced Boo-blay) has released his first album, you can indeed say that this guy swings. Not just swing. Buble is a finger-snapping hip cat who brings forth the coolest, most romantic sounds imaginable. Not in the way of Groban’s or of Foster’s other discovery, The Corrs, or those pop divas like Whitney Houston or Toni Braxton. Michael harks back to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and Al Martino and most of all Bobby Darin and makes all the swinging those music heroes did long ago once more vibrantly affecting.

The album is simply titled Michael Buble and it is a totally Canadian production. Aside from Foster and Buble, who both hail from British Columbia, the executive producer is Paul Anka, who is from Ottawa. Now Anka is another singer who knew how to swing even as a young man. He showed this off in his very entertaining Anka at the Copa live recording. But the coolest of the young singing idols during that period was Bobby Darin and he is what Buble brings to mind in his album debut.

Wisely though, Foster keeps Buble away from any Darin song. I was expecting Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea to pop up next but instead what I get from the ’60s are Anka’s Put Your Head on My Shoulder and an unbelievable but as it turned out astute choice, Bobby Rydell’s Sway. Anybody around for a cha-cha turn?

Then Foster brought swing relief to later works that have been aching to break out of their pop incarnations these past years. George Michael’s Kissing a Fool, Moondance by Van Morrison, Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Lou Rawls’ You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine and the most romantic Bee Gees tune ever, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart with the Bee Gees themselves doing the background vocals. These songs are pop favorites from a newer time but they are all evocative of an era of laid-back sophistication and heart-shattering romance.

Of course, the beautiful old songs from that period with the Sinatra trademark all over them come off best. Fever, For Once in My Life, Summer Wind, The Way You Look Tonight, Come Fly with Me and That’s All.

Now, how did a young guy like Buble get into this kind of music? His grandfather made the kid learn how to sing his favorite songs. I admit that seemed somewhat selfish of the old man but he probably felt very strongly that Michael has what it takes to swing. In fact, just to get the boy a chance to work with jazz musicians around Vancouver, Michael’s grandad did plumbing work for them for free! And as anybody who has ever been to North America will tell you, plumber’s fees can be mighty expensive.

But it all paid off. Thanks to those breaks, Michael got the training he needed. He became so good at what he does that although young, Michael easily developed quite a following in the social set who likes swing music. In fact, it was Brian Mulroney, the former Prime Minister of Canada who introduced Michael to Foster. Michael performed Darin’s Mack the Knife during the wedding reception of Mulroney’s daughter and Foster knew in an instant that he has another big star in the offing.

Note to record producers. Foster found Buble singing Mack the Knife so he produced an album cut along the same lines. He did the same with Groban who is classically trained. It never pays to change an artist’s style to conform to prevailing trends or what you personally like. I have a feeling though that Foster won a bonanza with Buble because he not only got to produce a great album by a new talented artist but he also got to work with music he loves.

I am sure many of you out there will love this one too. Come to think of it, I am sure everybody will, because I do not think anybody would turn down the chance to slow dance once again with Buble’s music or at the very least remember how it felt.