Just out., January 19, 2001, Page 33, Image 33

January 19.2001 * J u t 00 ( 3 3
Melodic men
Rent boy Anthony Rapp stands out
among four new releases
by
J im R ado sta
.........................
L ook A round
Anthony Rapp •
Paigow Productions
nthony Rapp,
who originated
0 »
the role of
Mark Cohen in the
original Broadway
cast of Rent, has
branched out with a
rousing rock ’n’ roll
record. Apparently,
his magnetic stage
presence easily
translated to the
recording studio.
i;M n * ß « f
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Rapp casts a wide m
net, bravely crossing
genre lines from track to track without hesita­
tion. He mimics the Clash on “Human Torna­
do,” he covers Marshall Crenshaw on “Lesson
Number One,” and he masters bouncy pop on
my favorite track, “Out Out Damn Spot.”
The most gay-specific lyrics on Look Around
can he found during Rapp’s tender ballad “Just
Some Guy.” He sings, “And I watch his eyes as
they shine/Run my fingers through his
hair/And 1 touch his chest where his heart
is/And 1 tell him, ‘1 find safe haven there.’ ”
Rapp, who also had prominent roles in the
films Adventures in Babysitting, Dazed and
Confused and Road Trip, deserves an even wider
following for setting a fine example for future
queer crooners. Considering British heartthroh
Stephen Gately of the hand Boyzone came out
of the closet without incident, the time cer­
tainly has come for others to follow suit.
Look Around can be purchased at
www.disgraceland.com.
A ri G old
Ari Gold • Boogie Sauce Music
ccurately described as “the Jewish, gay
Babyface,” singer-songwriter Ari Gold
serves up a smooth blend of pop, R & B
and jazz on his self-titled debut recording. This
self-released
effort is made
all the more
appealing
because the
26-year-old
New Yorker
has no problem
throwing male
pronouns into
these radio­
friendly tunes.
“The music industry has always been afraid
of embracing an openly gay artist,” Gold says.
“By self-producing my own CD, I was able to
express the things I need to say—a love song to
a man, for example.”
You might recognize Gold if you saw Latin
Boys Go to Hell. He worked as music supervisor
for the independent film and appeared on
screen singing the catchiest track on his CD,
“See Through Me.”
Great things could be in store for Gold, too.
He is working on a project with noted song­
writer Desmond Child, best known for the
Ricky Martin hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca."
Ari Gold can be purchased at
www.arigold.com.
fciÄÜil
:
11
W elcome H ome
Esteban Ramirez •
Descanso Music
f tickling the
ivories tickles
: your fancy, then
check out Welcome
Home by solo
pianist Esteban
Ramirez. Bom and
raised in El Paso,
Texas, this gay
musician plays soft,
slow melodies remi­
niscent of George
Winston and
Danny Wright.
The follow-up
to his debut recording, Serenade to the Moon,
this CD is packed with strong instrumental
piano pieces. Four of the tunes are duets with
cellist Melissa Hasin.
Ramirez displays his romantic side on tracks
such as “Garden Waltz” and “Dinner for Two."
According to press materials, his personal
imagery for the latter is “a rich Austrian count
in his castle playing the piano as a single special
guest arrives for an exquisite dining experience.”
Ramirez also brings an international flair to
Welcome Home. Having studied in France dur­
ing college, he included the playful songs “Car­
nival in Paris" and “Window at Batignolles.”
Ramirez composed every track except for
the grand finale: the umpteenth interpretation
of Judy Garland’s “Over the Rainbow” from
The Wizard of Oz■ An uninspired finale to an
otherwise admirable recording.
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T
Oregon Art Beat
Taking the pulse of regional arts and culture.
Thursdays et 8pm
OPB
It’s Where You Belong • wwwopb org
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(503) 295-7744
C ircuit 2K V ol . 3
Various Artists • AM Records
his special edition CD was compiled in
conjunction with the AIDS benefit Hell-
Ball 5—so named because, according to the
liner notes, "We had been to hell and we were
back, damn it!”
The annual
costume party
benefits the
New Heritage
Foundation, a
San Francisco
nonprofit
organization.
DJ Frank
Abraham has
put together a
nonstop 70-minute mix of dance hits released
during the past few years— with the exception
of Shannon’s 1984 classic “Let the Music
Play"— that will provide the perfect back­
ground music for your next workout session.
Or you can throw your own low-budget, high-
energy party without even leaving your home.
Among the standout tracks are “Don’t
Want Another Man” (Dynamix presents
Tina Ann), “Don’t You Want My Love”
(Rosabel featuring Debbie Jacobs Rock)
and “Shine O n” (Tony Moran featuring
Cindy Mizelle). Hannah Jones’ revved-up
cover version of Simon & Garfunkel’s
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is another
pleasant surprise.
Circuit2K Vol. 3 can be purchased at
www.TranceXstacy.com. j n
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