Personnel includes: Josh Groban (vocals); Angie Stone, Andrea Corr (vocals); John Williams (conductor); Lili Hayden (violin); David Foster (piano); Rhys Fulber (keyboards).
In the wake of Andrea Bocelli's successful opera-pop crossover, young Josh Groban came along and added a crucially marketable element to the mix; that of a college-age heartthrob type destined to enchant listeners of the female persuasion from pre-teen to senior citizen. For the follow-up to his highly profitable 2001 debut, Groban chose to release a live album, all the better to further the feeling of intimacy already inherent in his emotive style. As IN CONCERT makes plain, Groban sounds equally committed and convincing whether he's making like Bocelli on "Un Amore Per Sempre" or delivering a stately version of Don McLean's '70s folk-pop classic "Vincent." He stirs the pot still further by taking on "The Prayer" as an elegant duet with none other than neo-soul queen Angie Stone, and it's as impressive to hear how well he blends with her as it is to note how well she adapts her voice and approach to the situation at hand. You can keep waiting for a misstep from this wunderkind if you want, but it sure doesn't seem likely to happen.
