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There's no getting around it. Andrew Suvalsky is very cool. And very hip. His first album, Vintage Pop and the Jazz Sides, lets him show a flair and a comfort level with a variety of musical styles that betrays no preference. Like a traveler who's happy and at home in whatever country he goes to, he finds the groove and sensibility of each type of song and enjoys its native style and customs. Then he moves on. Perhaps thats analagous to the philosophy of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With"? Certainly that number is a highlight, where the album builds to a head in great forceful energy. It comes smack in the middle of this well-programmed set.

This is a seductive album listen. Andrew brings you in step by step, starting with the old rock hit invitation, "Do You Want to Dance?" that becomes a slow dance with his voice going from purring whisper to whimper and gaining strength. The dance with music and romance continues with the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David confession, "This Guy's in Love with You." Both of these have sensitivity with a low-key hypnotic magnetism, brought out by close-miked intimate singing and sexy playing by talented instrumentalists. (The guitar work throughout the album is especially tasty, with four players taking turns, and Wells Hanley doing well on keyboard for seven cuts and David Easton tearing it up on "Alright, Okay, You Win.")

I don't envy the record store manager who has to decide what category to file this under when it arrives. With drive, some of this is rock music with a touch of funky rhythm and blues feel. Also, there's tenderness and a soulfulness on "Crying" and "This Year's Love" that make the set especially well-rounded, offsetting the confident air projected frequently. The "show tune alert" is as follows: Rodgers & Hart are represented by the comical "Ev'rything I've Got" from By Jupiter and there's a movie song that's a Cole Porter standard, "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." An album like this is nice to come home to, as there's a cut to match almost any mood you might be in (or want to get in) as you turn the key in the door. But there's enough personality and presence that would make you want to go out again if Andrew Suvalsky were appearing nearby. It would be even better if he lived in the building ... because he sounds like someone you'd want to know.

It’s all about love for Andrew Suvalsky, who straddles the pop/jazz line. As the opening and closing tunes of this debut CD show, he is at his best covering jazzie slow-dances.

The listener wants to moan out “yes” on hearing the opening cut of Vintage Pop and the Jazz Sides. With his undulating delivery on Do You Want to Dance? (Robert Freeman), Suvalsky sets us up to expect a jazz sensality. His gives a smootchie interpretation to “This Guy's in Love with You from Hal David and Burt Bacharach and to We’re in This Love Together (Murrah & Stegal).

He shows that he is able to deliver upbeat songs with his perfect jitterbug Alright, Okay, You Win (Wyche & Watts).

Suvalsky goes into crooner mode with Cole Porter’s You’d Be so Nice to Come Home To and then finishes with the promise that The Best is Yet to Come (Leigh & Coleman), a smooth foxtrot that showcases his vocal range through a duet with trumpet player (Scott Harrell).