The Wild Reed: Carl Anderson: “Artist and Vocalist Extraordinaire”

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Carl Anderson: “Artist and Vocalist Extraordinaire”

The Wild Reed’s celebration of singer and actor Carl Anderson continues!

It’s actually a month-long celebration, as February is the month of both Carl’s birth (in 1945) and death (in 2004, at age 58).

In this fifth installment of The Wild Reed’s celebration of Carl, I share the music video of "How Deep Does It Go?", one of a number of standout tracks from Carl's 1990 album Pieces of a Heart.

Pieces of a Heart was the first of three albums that Carl released on the jazz label GRP Records, and a review of it follows the video below. Enjoy!

Have you ever lived for someone
more than you live for yourself?
Can you perceive of a love you believe in always?
Can you learn to let somebody
really live inside your love?
Can you release everything you have to her?

How deep does it go?
How deep does it go in your love?
I just got to know,
could you ever let go of my love?

I feel I can touch you places
that no one has ever been
Trust me this time
as I gently find every end
I will go to any measure
just let me know how far to be
Whatever it takes
I will put your heart at ease.

How deep does it go?
How deep does it go in your love?
I just got to know,
could you ever let go of my love?
How deep does it feel?
How deep does it feel in your love?
How deep does it feel?
Does it make you reveal all you have?

'Cause you live in me
making my world complete.
And what you give me
is so much deeper than deep.

How deep does it go? I wanna know.
How deep does it go in your love?
I just got to know,
could you ever let go of my love?

How deep does it feel? Tell me.
How deep does it feel in your love?
How sweet does it taste?
Could another erase what we have?
How deep does it go?
How deep? I wanna know.
Tell me, how deep?

___________________________

With so many well-known male cross-over artists today in the areas of pop and jazz such as Al Jarreau, Phil Perry, Jeffrey Osborne, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder, few are familiar with the tremendous artistic talents of Carl Anderson, artist and vocalist extraordinaire. Imagine a controlled, powerful, rich baritone voice, something of a cross between former vocal icons Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole, and you have got the rather unique vocal stylings of Carl Anderson. How a talent of this magnitude could go virtually so unknown, beyond those in the music industry anyway, is a mystery to me.

Just check out the credentials: He played and sang in the role of Judas in the Andrew Lloyd Webber [and Tim Rice] stage production [and film adaptation] of Jesus Christ Superstar, sung the hit duet song "Friends and Lovers" with Days of Our Lives soap opera star Gloria Loring, and had a tremendous solo recording career with labels like Epic, PolyGram, and GRP, while performing with artists like Maynard Ferguson, Stevie Wonder, Brenda Russell, Joe Sample, Russ Freeman, Nancy Wilson, Kirk Whalum, Keiko Matsui, Weather Report, and Angela Bofill.

[On the] impressive Pieces of a Heart, Carl Anderson showcases his amazing talent as a vocalist. Just listen to the beautiful and exotic "Dance of the Seven Veils," the emotionally stirring "If I Could," the classic jazz piece "Maiden Voyage," the sassy duet with Brenda Russell, "Baby My Heart," and the soaring and deeply moving title track and you'll see why the music of the late, great Carl Anderson will take a piece of your heart."