Cabaret & Jazz Reviews : Arnold McCuller Defects to Pop

Arnold McCuller, a handsome, robust young vocalist with a stage presence as strong and commanding as his voice, is just the kind of singer that the jazz world could use.

Once, when he was the featured male singer with Full Swing, jazz had him. But now, as evidenced during his opening set of a two-night stand at the Vine Street Bar and Grill Tuesday night, he has donated his vast talents to the more popular forms of funk and R&B.;

Jazz music’s loss is pop music’s gain. So it goes.

Accompanied by a capable quartet, McCuller made each of the 11 offered songs a pleasant, musical experience. The volume levels were appropriate for the intimate setting and the group’s careful attention to dynamics was admirable.

McCuller is blessed with a rich baritone that he controlled with schooled precision, unleashing its power at just the right dramatic moments. He flawlessly slipped in and out of an effective falsetto and he blended neatly with any of the three backup singers he employed. Particularly touching was the duet he performed with Bridgette Bryant on “The Closer I Get To You,” an attractive ballad by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.

In addition to a menu of popular tunes, McCuller sang his own composition, the easy-gaited “You Never Love Me The Same Way Twice,” and showcased a gorgeous Brazilian ballad, “Cry Brazilian Women,” which he sang in Portuguese.

Problems in his set were few. A couple of McCuller’s tunes were nondescript and his band didn’t handle the stop-brakes of “Right Before My Eyes” too cleanly. But the quartet’s sensitivity and drive (the latter propelled by drummer Leval Bell and bassist Kevin Brandon), and its opening instrumental--”Stolen Moments,” a swinging tour de force that showcased the considerable talents of pianist Wayne Linsey and saxophonist Brian McCann--made up for a sloppy moment or two.