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''Casey Abrams'' is the self-titled debut album of jazz-pop artist and ''American Idol'' season ten sixth-place finalist Casey Abrams. It was released through the jazz label Concord Records on June 26, 2012, one year after Abrams competed on the Fox reality television series. The record deal was struck with the help of ''American Idol'' judge Randy Jackson, who serves as an executive producer on this album. Abrams spent six weeks recording the songs at Kensaltown Studios in London. He described this as an unusual experience, in which he often sang while sitting on a couch and recorded in an open room. Ambient noises from the city can be heard in the background of some tracks. Abrams served as a co-writer on nine of the album's eleven tracks and, for the most part, felt that his creative vision was communicated. The album carries an upbeat tone. It predominately focuses on themes of nature and romantic yearning. Humorous subject matter is dealt with as well, such as in the songs "Wore Out My Soul", which is a double entendre about shoes, and "Stuck in London", which contains nonsense lyrics. Although Abrams had been known for jazz on ''American Idol'', he went in a pop direction for this album, combining the two genres. "Dry Spell" has been considered the most jazz-influenced original song. However, a cover of the Ray Charles standard "Hit the Road Jack" is included as well and features a duet with fellow ''American Idol'' season 10 contestant Haley Reinhart. A deluxe version of the album, which includes covers of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain", received a limited release. Touring for the album was not extensive. However, Abrams opened a jazz festival on Penang Island, and after being dropped by Concord Records, he toured across Ethiopia. "Simple Life" and "Get Out" were released as dual singles a few weeks ahead of the album. Music videos were created for the two songs, as well as for non-singles "Stuck in London" and "Great Bright Morning". Jack Black, who had previously performed with Abrams on the ''American Idol'' season finale, appeared in a promotional comedy video that depicted Abrams as a homeless street busker. Some critics were disappointed that Abrams did not make a more traditional jazz album. However, critical reception was positive overall. Some reviews compared Abrams to Jason Mraz, while others singled out the two jazziest songs, "Dry Spell and "Hit the Road Jack", as highlights. "Midnight Girl" also received high praise. It was listed as one 2012's best songs by an ''American Idol'' alumni. The album charted at No. 101 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It peeked at the No. 1 spot on ''Billboards Top Heatseekers chart, while the single "Get Out" peaked at No. 23 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 39 on the Adult Pop Songs chart. ==Background== Unlike several of the other finalists from the tenth season of ''American Idol'', Abrams did not gain a record deal in the immediate aftermath of the series. This caused Kate Ward to write an article for ''Entertainment Weekly'', in which she called Abrams the "most musically talented contestant" from that season and suggested a petition to get him signed.〔 In January 2012, it was reported that Abrams had signed with Concord Records, the jazz label that Esperanza Spalding - one of Abrams' musical inspirations - is a part of.〔 When asked earlier what kind of album he would like to make, Abrams answered "between rock and jazz and everything in between." Although he finished in sixth place,〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=''American Idol'':Where Are They Now? )〕 Abrams has said that he is glad he did not win ''American Idol''. The tight schedule for releasing an album that is imposed on the winner would have placed more pressure on him than he would have liked. Instead, Abrams was able to spend as much time as he felt necessary to find "the right label and the right music". "I need a chill vibe", he said explaining his feelings on the matter.〔 The album was released on June 26, 2012,〔 about a year after Abrams' participation on ''American Idol'', and about ten months later than season ten winner Scotty McCreery's debut album. As soon as the ''American Idol'' Summer tour finished, Abrams went to Los Angeles, where he began writing sessions.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Casey Abrams (album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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