I got a copy of Hit Man: David Foster and Friends the other day and I really wanted to just sit down and get another album review "over with" (it is work after all). 

Thank goodness I put this CD on tonight – it was just what I needed!

It starts with the familial strains of "Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire" on which David is accompanied by Kenny G.  The piano, that horn-playing… I just felt a little more at ease all of a sudden. 

Then came "Home" by one of my favourite Canadian artists ever, Michael Bublé, who was accompanied by country music star, Blake Shelton.  The duet was inspired and I felt myself relaxing a little bit more.  I almost panicked for a moment because I wondered if this feeling could go on.  Thankfully, it did.

Teen sensation, Charice, delivered some standout performances of "I Have Nothing" and "I Will Always Love You" from the Bodyguard soundtrack.

I thought the Bublé/Shelton duet was great but I have to admit that the pairing of Josh Groban and Brian McKnight was just incredible!  They sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and it blew me away!  Maybe I’m biased because I love both of these singers more than anyone should but, again, it proves the genius of David Foster.

No one but Celine Dion should really sing "Because You Loved Me" and, fortunately, that’s exactly who performs the power ballad on the disc.  What can you really say?  It’s Celine.  It was fantastic!

"Wildflower" is just a gorgeous little song that makes me emotional every time I hear it.  Blake Shelton does a great job on this track.  I felt like the words meant something to him which lent real credibility to the performance.

American Idol season 5 runner-up, Katharine McPhee, sang "Somewhere," the signature song from West Side Story.  If you’re a fan of the movie you’ll understand why this gave me goosebumps.  She really softens some parts of the song which is a nice interpretation on this modern classic.

Just when I thought this CD couldn’t get much better, Peter Cetera and his glorious vocals flooded my ears.  He did a medley of "Hard to Say I’m Sorry/You’re the Inspiration/Glory of Love" and I really enjoyed it.  "Glory of Love" is from the Karate Kid 2 soundtrack (which I loved!) and I get teary every time I hear it.  This was my favourite section of the CD and I loved that it was a nice little gem towards the end.  Fabulous!

The final track is "The Prayer" which is sung by the great Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, and Katharine McPhee.  It was a decent version of the song but purists who love either the Celine Dion or Charlotte Church version might feel it’s lacking a little something.  It’s still pretty great, though

Overall, I would highly recommend this CD as a great holiday gift this year!  It also comes with a DVD which features the live performances that appear on the CD (and even more!!!).  PICK UP A COPY TODAY!

image used with permission

Post from: Canadian Music News