La Voce

2010 release from the British tenor who practically invented the classical crossover genre. Recorded in June 2010 with the Roma Sinfonietta-Ennio Morricone's orchestra of choice-and produced by Mike Hedges, Russell Watson's voice has never sounded better. Stronger, more driven and powerful, his renditions of Pino Donaggio's quot;Io Che Non Vivo (Senza Te)quot;, Mario Lanza's quot;Arrivederci Romaquot; and quot;Parla Piu Pianoquot; (the theme from the Godfather) are as impressive as you'd expect from a man singing with, literally, a new lease of life after overcoming two life-threatening brain tumors. In 2008, when the Salford born tenor finished radiotherapy for the pituitary tumor that saw him undergo emergency surgery, he decided to embark on a return to music. He soon found that his treatment had given him not just a fresh outlook on the world, but a whole new, deeper, richer voice. La Voce is Watson's ninth, and most personal, album.