One Track Mind: Eric Van Aro, “I’m Not Anyone” (2012)

by Nick DeRiso - September 1, 2012 7:20 am

Stripped of its typical grandiosity, Paul Anka’s “I’m Not Anyone” becomes a far more emotionally complex tribute to the late Sammy Davis Jr., in the hands of jazz vocalist Eric Van Aro.
The tune opens with an absorbing piano signature, courtesy of Fabio Gianni, before Van Aro enters to offer a confidential, quietly conveyed vocal: This is a song about empowerment, about believing – above all else – in yourself, and as with many such sentiments it builds from something barely said to something boasted about with sweeping gestures.

By its midpoint, “I’m Not Anyone” – set for release on September 14, 2012, via Eraki – has become a tandem statement of purpose, as Van Aro sings with a robust pride while Gianni begins to approach the piano with a brusque aggression. But just then, as the song hits an emotional apex – and at precisely the moment that earlier strings-laden versions by the likes of Davis and Shirley Bas