Jim Brickman, one of the hottest pianists on the adult contemporary circuit, fancies himself a modern-day Cupid. He just happens to aim most of his arrows at his own backside.
With pointed wit Saturday night, Brickman made much sport of his image as “America’s new romantic piano sensation,” even promising the guys dragged to the Chicago Theatre show by their significant others that there would be a little payoff later, wink-wink. But first they would have to endure some syrupy pop instrumentals and doleful, by-the-numbers ballads.
Looking a little like actor Kevin Spacey in gray trousers, purple shirt and a black vest, Brickman bantered with the crowd between theatrical turns at his jet-black Yamaha grand. Two sets totaling more than 16 tunes captured the essence of the artist and his helter-skelter influences.
The self-effacing pianist from Cleveland belted out a Mark Russell-style medley of pop-culture oeuvres, “Schoolhouse Rock,” “The Peanuts Theme” and ads plugging Hershey’s bars, Good ‘N’ Plenty and Hallmark Cards. The latter company might consider copyright infringement claims against Brickman, whose lyrics dwell on patented–and pedestrian–sentiments. Squeeze ballads such as “After All These Years,” “By Heart” and his hit “Valentine,” and you’ll get more sap than from a sequoia.
Vocalist Anne Cochran took Kenny Loggins’ part on “The Gift,” following Brickman and Cochran’s lovingly sung duet of Loggins’ own “Celebrate Me Home.”
A former advertising jingle writer, Brickman has notched four recordings. The most recent, “Picture This,” garnered the highest Billboard chart position of any Windham Hill act, besting even label warhorses such as Liz Story and the venerable George Winston.
Credit Brickman for his yeomanly skills. On self-penned works such as “Lake Erie Rainfall” and “Dream Come True,” Brickman’s ivory tickling mined subtle nuances with the best of Winston’s season recordings. Brickman’s forte is unleashing a torrent of emotion–and it’s all by design.
Surprisingly, the most sublime moments were those least predicted: Who could have guessed that a cover of “Rainbow Connection,” a Paul Williams collaboration from “The Muppet Movie,” of all things, would bring on the bliss and prove Kermit the Frog’s got nothing on Brickman.
It was right on target.
