Throughout his career, Bruce Sudano has played every kind of music imaginable. He’s been in numerous rock bands, written hits for Dolly Parton, Donna Summer and Michael Jackson, helmed his own label and toured the globe playing everywhere from family gatherings to sold-out stadiums. Recently, he returned to his roots, releasing a series of albums that fuse folk and classical pop to express the full range of human emotion.
On Spirals. Volume 1…Not A Straight Line To Be Found, he journeys back to his Brooklyn beginnings and forward to his dreams of a peaceful afterlife. His mellow tenor and intricate fingerpicking bring his poetic lyrics to life, with the help of producer Steve Addabbo (Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Jeff Buckley) and a tight quartet of professional session players.
“Spirals always intrigued me, as a metaphor for life in general, and many situations you encounter,” Sudano says. “You start small, circle out to the widest possible space, then spiral down to the smallest point before vanishing. I write about different aspects of love, life, emotion and loss. I like reflecting on the collision of dreams, memories and reality, looking forward and back, while and trying to stay awake in the moment. All that ties in with the concept of spirals.”
The songs on the record evolved over the past couple of years, as Sudano looked back at the long path he’s traveled. He sings in a warm, expressive tenor that still maintains its flexible range. “I was blessed to play the role of songwriter and be around great singers who could make my words come to life,” Sudano says. “I always sang, but I never carried the load, so my voice never got beaten up. I still have a youthful quality. I was always able to interpret a lyric, but today, I have more freedom with my voice than I had previously.”
Stream the song in our New Music Friday Spotify playlist now: