Joe Bruce & 2nd Avenue – Joe Bruce & 2nd Avenue (1987)

Joe-Bruce is a studio project by two heavy-weights of the music industry: Joe Esposito and Bruce Sudano. Both were part during the late ’70s / early ’80s of the vocal group Brooklyn Dreams (which supplied backing vocals on the classic debut Franke And The Knockouts album). Esposito is also well known as a soundtrack guy (Flashdance, Foxes, Staying Alive, Thief Of Hearts, Karate Kid) and his colaboration with Giorgio Moroder. And who are the ‘2nd Avenue’? No-one than the super session monsters Dann Huff, Nathan East, Michael Omartian, Bob Conti and more.

First track “We Can Have It All” is just a killer soft-AOR melodic gem. The golden chorus is pure mid-eighties AOR heaven, and Dan Huff’s solo a fine demonstration of his mastery. “Something Tells Me (Into Something Good)” is really ‘something good’, a cool L.A. westcoast track complete with tasteful keys and horns. “Save The Love” has a classy smooth breeze while “Some Things Never Change” is a melodic semi-ballad with a great bass & rhythm guitar that reminds me the more commercial Gino Vanelli.

“The Terms Of Love” returns to the classic AOR in a style similar to David Roberts and Robbie Patton. Great keyboards on this one. “The Message Is Clear” has a poppy-Lite AOR vibe, very radiable and contagious. The drums are more compressed here than the rest of the album. “Powerful Girl” sounds very early eighties, a soundtrack-style track with a magic chorus and nice guitars. On the ballad “I Found Love” the duo pay tribute to their origins, this is a vocal-based song with great harmonies.

Production is first class and all sounds clear and polished to the extreme thanks to the great work of Michael Omartian. This is a ‘tie & jacket’ album, elegant and sophisticated. “JOE-BRUCE & 2ND AVENUE” only was released on CD and distributed in Germany in limited quantities, being auctioned today with bids above U$S 300. Many fans of west coast music are looking forward to a reissue of this great album…

1.We Can Have It All
2.Something Tells Me (Into Something Good)
3.No Way To Win
4.Save The Love
5.Some Things Never Change
6.The Terms Of Love
7.The Message Is Clear
8.Powerful Girl
9.America (What’s The Price You Pay)
10.I Found Love

Joe “Bean” Esposito Lead & Backing Vocals
Bruce Sudano Lead & Backing Vocals
Dann Huff Guitars
Nathan East Bass
Joe Chemay Bass
Michael Omartian Keyboards, Producer
Erich Bulling Synthesizer Programming
Marcus Ryle Synthesizer Programming
John Robinson Drums
Bob Conti Percussion
Gary Herbig Saxophone
Kim Hutchcroft Saxophone
Jerry Hey Trumpets
Bill Reichenbach Trombone
Donna Summer Backing Vocals
Dara Bernard Backing Vocals
Mary Ellen Bernard Backing Vocals
Portia Griffin Backing Vocals

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