Striving Artists – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Striving Artists Cast Recording

“For ‘Gethsemane’, which is sort of the emotional centerpiece for my character, I recorded the vocal immediately after getting off the phone with the vet when we made the decision to put the dog to sleep after a long bout with cancer. I just had a lot of turmoil in me at that moment, so like any self-obsessed, pretentious artist, I figured I’d capture that turmoil on tape.”  —Greg Luzitano

From the opening, Overture, to the closing John Nineteen Forty-One, Luzitano and company skillfully create a sonic experience that stays respectful and true to the 40 year old original, while, at the same time, taking tasteful advantage of just the right amount of modern production.

A perfect example of that respect occurs in What’s the Buzz – Strange Thing Mystifying, as Striving Artists nailed the bass riff and the vocal soul and flair that keep the track true to its roots.

This Jesus Must Die transitions the listener into the story’s darkest time with as much theatricality as its predecessor. In fact, I prefer the vocal performances of this remake to the original.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s original piece is complex and wildly creative. To call it a difficult project to re-create would be a gross understatement. This is never more true than in The Temple which sees Jesus scold the infamous temple-goers. Once again, the Striving Artists crew have put together an impressive interpretation. Particularly, the vocals of Jesus (performed by Gregory Luzitano) at the 1:51 mark are gripping. Listen to him wail. Honestly, it caught me off guard in the best of ways.

In Pilate and Christ, Jeremy Benson recreates Pontius’s antagonism of Christ with keen accuracy. Very cool.

Superstar is crisp and cool, and for me, is the apex of the performance. James Turner’s vocals are more than worthy of Judas. That said, there’s one standout I’ve yet to mention:  Nate Goncalo’s drum performance on this track, and throughout this epic undertaking, is no less than razor sharp and arguably spectacular.

For the sake of this review, I decided to listen to both the original version, and Striving Artists’ take, side-by-side. With that experience fresh in my mind, I offer this:  If you’ve never taken in the original rock opera version of Jesus Christ Superstar, no worries, you’ll get everything you could possibly need from that experience by listening to Striving Artists’ rendition. (Yes, I mean that.) Their commitment to excellence and accuracy in every facet of the production shows immense respect to the original, and is nothing short of outstanding and absolutely impressive.