This album, The Real Thing, is a musical exploration of that elusive but all consuming part of everybody's life - the search for true love. It is the seventh in my series of Jamie deRoy and friends CD's. Seven has always been my lucky number since I was born on the 7th. That luck has continued through the many talented friends and associates I have been fortunate to meet, including the producers, directors, writers and performers on this CD.
   First of all, there are the performers from the Broadway theater: Rebecca Luker giving voice to "Time" by Barry Kleinbort and Joseph Thalken from their musical "WAS", loan Morton, of "Taboo" fame, Karen Mason from "Mamma Mia!", and two time Tony nominee Penny Fuller all offering indelible versions of bittersweet romantic ballads. From the pop world, there's Baby Jane Dexter swinging Gershwin, Billy Stritch interweaving Sondheim and Berlin, Kim Cea and Jerry Dixon making beautiful music together, Kane Alexander. who recorded for us on a rare visit from his native Australia, and Marcus Simeone heating things up with "Fair Enough," which was brilliantly orchestrated by one of the people I was most lucky to meet, the late and much missed Mr. Rod Hausen.
   There are the singers performing heir own compositions: the, slyly irreverent Christine Lavin; Rob Carlson, who many of you know as a member of "Modern Man" working solo here; and renowned Austin based singer/songwriter Sandy Knox bringing a little taste of Country to this album. Lastly, there are the "group singers" like the scintillating Uptown Express and The Accidentals, eight supreme vocalists whom I have had the pleasure of recording with previously, this time joining them in Boz Skagg's pop tune, "It's Over." First rate performers, all. As for The Real Thing, I may not have found it in my life yet... but you have. It's right here on this (D. I'm so lucky to know all these people. Now, so are you.