The vocalist and multi-instrumentalist was born in Manhattan, a location that provided him with a bass in jazz as well as the Great American Songbook. He also called Memphis his home, which is where he likely heard plenty of blues; country and R&B. Caldwell also lived in Miami for a time, where he soaked in that international city’s Latin influences. The artist brings all of those influences together on House of Cards, his latest album and his first featuring all original recordings in seven years. House of Cards includes country, Latin and blues tunes. However, Caldwell is jazz and soul singer, and the best tracks on House of Cards features the vocalist performing tunes that swing and tell stories guys who win at cards and lose at love.
This 2-disc set grew out of the fascination of Robert von Bahr, founder and managing director of BIS Records, for the television series House of Cards. It wasn’t only – or even primarily – the script or the acting that grabbed him, however, but just as much the music. Said and done - Jeff Beal, the composer of the House of Cards soundtrack, was contacted and it was soon decided that he should compose a Flute Concerto for the virtuosic Sharon Bezaly. To complement the concerto a selection of music from the series was agreed upon; this quickly grew into a large-scale House of Cards Symphony. So now the decision was made to record and present a lavish two disc-set, with three further works: Six Sixteen for guitar and orchestra (performed by Grammy Award winner Jason Vieaux), Canticle for strings and a brand new House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra.
This album earns without doubt five stars! "Full Circle" was a great record too, but "House Of Cards" got a bigger production and the more transparent songwriting…