About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

I Am Now is the album that introduced the West Indies singer, songwriter, and arranger Jon Lucien to American audiences. Issued by RCA in 1970, Lucien's brand of gorgeous pop and theatrical song wasn't -- and isn't -- for everybody, but it was highly original, very sophisticated, and full of the same kind of sweet soulful prowess that Teddy Pendergrass exhibited a few years later. The material on I Am Now is unlike anything else in his catalog. For starters, the material is not his own; only the classic "Find Yourself a Lover" was penned by Lucien. With its swirling strings, bossa nova guitars, and easy Caribbean rhythms, it's virtually a genre of music unto itself. Other material included current pop standards like "Who Will Buy," Lalo Schifrin's "A Time for Us" from Romeo and Juliet, and even a Bahamian version of the theme from The Sound of Music. Lucien also tackles classics like Cole Porter's "Love for Sale," with startlingly contemporary arrangements that could have been scored by Tom Jobim -- who wrote "Dindi" for this album -- or perhaps Claus Ogermann, though it was Lucien and Horace Ott. Perhaps the most stunning reading that revealed the wide-ranging depth in Lucien's vocal talents was his read of "The Shadow of Your Smile," which had been covered by every major popular singer of the era. Lucien's interpretation is dramatic, as if it came from theater, yet its passion and pathos are authentic, full, and velvety dark. The only loser is Lucien's rather stilted reading of Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour," but it's only because it pales in comparison to the rest of the material here; Lucien's baritone is certainly up to the chart, it just falls flat from an overly sweet orchestral screen. It's a small complaint, however, especially in retrospect; I Am Now is an under-celebrated classic of '70s pop. Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: