To be certain, "Ronald Isley Meets Burt Bacharach: Here I Am" is one of the more curious collaborations to hit pop music in the last few decades. Even Bacharach, the man who penned the Oscar-winning song from "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," found the proposal intriguing, but less than likely at first. Isley's raw-boned R&B melody and exquisite vocals proved to reinvigorate Bacharach's classics and blow critics' expectations out of the water. Their performance is testament to that fact.
This episode of Soundstage features lush orchestral melodies composed and rearranged by Bacharach and infused with Isley's low, smooth soulfulness. The performance, like the breakthrough album, reveals not just a simple set of cover songs, but rather a complete renovation of Bacharach's timeless standards. This is a reverent tribute to American classics including - among others - string-invigorated versions of "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "Alfie," along with sweeping renditions of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head," "In Between the Heartaches" and "This Guy's in Love with You." It's an evening that allows both Bacharach and Isley to shine.
