TOM RICCI, So Amor

Before getting into the fascinating journey of how So Amor, Tom Ricci’s artfully sensual, blissfully romantic dream of a collection So Amor came into being, it must be said that the Argentine born, SoCal based singer, songwriter and vocal interpreter extraordinaire is a master in the art of intimate soul caress, his gentle rasp drawing us equally into freshly spun originals and lyrics we’ve heard a million times - but not like he renders them.

He’s released several other albums in the meantime, but So Amor is fascinatingly fashioned as the long awaited compilation (plus the sweetly sensual Ricci-penned title track) of his steady stream of beautifully rendered singles - mostly charming re-imaginings of standards, complemented by his exotic flamenco tinged “Spanish Lament,” a passionate ballad which showcases his powerful vocal range.

The slate of “lead singles” began in 2015 with the Rob Chiarelli produced “Simply Love,” a breezy romance he penned in his teen years after a family trip to Brazil. The old cliché about singing the phone book (and his facility for language) applies perfectly to his engaging turns on standards, including “Besame Mucho,” “Naranjo En Flor,” “Night & Day,” “Quiet Nights (Corcovado)” and “When I Fall in Love,” each recorded with different top musicians (drummer Pipi Piazzola, bassist Bruno Migatto, etc). For those who haven’t been following the flurry of singles – and even for those who have been enjoying them one by one over the last decade - Ricci will seem like a fresh voice setting moods for all occasions where amor is on the menu.