In The Presence

1	Amazing Grace 3:34
2	An American Hymn 3:25
3	Pie Jesu From Requiem 2:56
4	Nearer My God to Thee 4:11
5	Bright Blue Rose 4:18
6	On Eagle's Wings 3:15
7	Panis Angelicus 3:12
8	Joyful, Joyful 3:00
9	The Water Is Wide 3:47
10	Cerca de Ti Señor (Nearer My God to Thee) 3:18
11	Ave Maria 4:04
12	How Great Thou Art 4:20

Barnes & Noble

Even though Daniel Rodriguez's first two CDs focused on patriotic music (Spirit of America) and romance (From My Heart), there's always been a strong spiritual component to his singing, and this comes to the fore on In the Presence. Rodriguez has a real gift for communicating through song; his voice has the sort of "Everyman" flavor that is easy to identify with, but it's gilded with just the right amount of operatic technique to produce a glorious sound at the climaxes. The stirring orchestral arrangements add to the splendor, especially those by the late Johnnie Carl, longtime music director of the Crystal Cathedral. Rodriguez is as convincing in contemporary religious numbers like "An American Hymn" and "On Eagle's Wings" as he is in the classical selections. (To give credit where credit is due, neither "Joyful, Joyful" nor "Ave Maria" is a "traditional" tune, as they are labeled here; the former is the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with new words, and the latter is by Schubert.) Broadway star Lea Salonga is a perfect match for Rodriguez in two of the album's loveliest selections, including the sublime "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem. But best of all are traditional hymns such as "Amazing Grace," where Rodriguez achieves a simple purity that perfectly conveys the deep faith that animates his singing. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

Daniel Rodriguez, a former NYPD policeman, became "America's Beloved Tenor" when his public renditions of the National Anthem and "God Bless America" offered comfort to millions in the wake of 9/11 -- and he goes even further towards fulfilling his inspirational destiny on his beautifully emotional Blix Street Records debut with In the Presence, his third album. While his first two albums, Spirit of America and From My Heart took patriotic and romantic directions, here he draws on his faith to create -- with the powerful, sweeping help of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra -- a collection that, while often Christian-themed, truly crosses all religious lines. While more expected choices like "Amazing Grace," "Ave Maria," and "How Great Thou Art" are rendered passionately, it's Rodriguez's other choices that truly make the collection "holy," (i.e. set apart from the genre's norm). Most notably, his duets with Lea Salonga on Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" and the traditional "Panis Angelicus" offer a stunning balance of the theatrical and the sacred. {"Joyful Joyful" features lyrics set to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," pushing the album into classical crossover territory as well. The singer's gentle take on the more modern "American Hymn" is a centerpiece that inspires the kind of patriotism that we found in the days when Rodriguez first came into the pop culture consciousness. It's terribly ironic to think that such a talent might have remained obscure had it not been for 9/11, but there's no denying that he is more than a one-note novelty. This collection is every bit as compelling as Michael Crawford's On Eagle's Wings (which Rodriguez also covers, naturally). ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide