Artist:     A.J. Croce

Album:     By Request

Label:     Compass Records

Release Date:     02.05.2021

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A.J. Croce is serious about music. In addition to demanding of himself the highest level of proficiency on keyboards and guitar, he’s a student of music history, with a wide range of tastes and influences. That’s why his latest release, a collection of covers entitled By Request, is an interesting window into the music that has helped shape his own songwriting.

The phrase “by request” refers to late nights at home in Nashville playing music with and for friends. “We [would] make great food and after a few drinks and maybe a few more we’d end up in my music room and I’d take requests,” A.J. says. Ah, the simple pleasures of life before Covid.

By Request is like the soundtrack of a Quentin Tarantino film: plenty of familiar favorites that have fallen off the radar but songs we all still recall the words to. Kicking things off with Billy Preston’s “Nothing From Nothing” sets a rollicking tone and showcases A.J.’s chops on piano. The band, the same players who tour with him, is consistently excellent throughout: veterans Gary Mallaber on drums and David Barard on bass plus newcomer Garrett Stoner on guitar.

Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” has been covered by many, but A.J.’s take is more gospel-y than most. There’s always room for Randy Newman in any A.J. performance. Here he goes with “Have You Seen My Baby?” before taking on Tom Waits’s “San Diego Serenade” (A.J. grew up in San Diego). It’s always the old AM radio staple, though, that really hits home. This time it’s “Ooh Child,” the 1970 Five Stairsteps standard, that’s this reviewer’s favorite track. With horns and backup singers, the arrangement is faithful to the original and features A.J. at his most soulful.

Fans of AM radio will also enjoy Rod Stewart’s “Stay With Me” and a bluesy interpretation of The Beach Boys’ “Sail On Sailor.” There are some deeper cuts as well: Sam Cooke’s “Nothing Can Change This Love,” Allen Toussaint’s “Brickyard Blues” and a tender “Can’t Nobody Love You,” a cover of a Solomon Burke cover.

If all of this sounds pretty good, that’s because it is. Like many of us, I was in my own personal funk after months of hunkering down due to Covid. I was reluctant to take on reviewing any new releases, so I’m glad a persistent press agent got this in front of me. I met A.J. a few years ago after he played a show at New York’s City Winery and was impressed by his encyclopedic knowledge of music. He’s a charming, soft-spoken guy who’s had more than his share of heartache, from the tragic death of his father when A.J. was just two years old to his own childhood blindness. In 2018, Marlo, his wife of 24 years, succumbed to a sudden and rare heart ailment. Our condolences to A.J. and our thanks for this uplifting effort. “Ooh child, things are gonna get easier . . . ooh child, things’ll be brighter.”

—Lou Montesano