What's new, pussycat? part two

Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? To the depths and back.

Tom Jones is one of my favorite singers. His magnificent voice, his musical choices, and his swagger have earned my admiration many times over the decades. Though he has never been gone, he has been out of the public ear for a while, but no longer: Jones has come roaring back with a new recording, Praise and Blame, produced by Ethan Johns (from Kings of Leon).

In his 70s now, Tom Jones has moved into a deeper authority that is be the goal of every performer I know. To be gifted is not enough. One must develop the craft of using the gift. It's only then that the work is real and true. For most of us, that takes a lot of time, and it's easy to get bogged down. It's encouraging to hear Jones' message from a little further on down the road.

Here is a clip of a searing live performance on the Letterman show this past summer: