MANILA, Philippines?If you are partial to middle-of-the-road pop and OPM tunes but are tired of revivals and recording artists whose definition of powerful singing is shrill belting, ?Philippine Idol? finalist Jan Nieto?s self-titled debut album offers a refreshing alternative.

In ?Jan Nieto,? the young balladeer shines in melody-driven tunes like Von de Guzman?s ?Sana Naman,? Jun Lacanienta?s ?Fall in Love (With You Again),? Pow Chavez?s ?Devastated? and Joven Tan?s ?Sangandaan.? His silky, full-bodied baritone is perfect-fit for Ogie Alcasid?s radio-friendly compositions like ?Sa Puso Ko? and the beautifully arranged ?Bakit Kailangan Pang Lumayo??

Jan?s voice is as distinctively soulful as it is emotive, and allows him to deliver his brand-new songs with lived-in empathy and heartfelt pathos.

Interestingly, in the catchy top track, ?Together,? in which he sings with fellow talent-search alumni, Gian Magdangal, Harry Santos, Bryan Termulo, Ken Dingle, Arms Cruz, Apple Chiu, Pow Chavez and ?Pinoy Dream Academy?s? Miguel Mendoza, he willingly takes the back seat and lets his friends shine on their own. Now that?s classy.

Another class act is ?The Male Voice?s? Joel Trinidad, who readily said yes when we asked him to take over the multiple roles of another actor (who had to give up the play due to a heavy workload)?barely 10 days before the opening of New Voice?s 15th anniversary offering!

Formidable team

Joel was one of the leads of the 1995 original Filipino musical, ?Alikabok??a production that is especially memorable to us (along with ?Magnificat,? the longest-running religious musical in the country), not only because of the formidable team that included director Leo Rialp, composer Ryan Cayabyab, National Artist Salvador Bernal,choreographer Douglas Nierras and producers, Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis, but also because it was our very first foray into the heady world of the legitimate stage.

Thereafter, we acted with Joel in NVC?s ?Falsettos The Musical,? then directed him in 2004?s ?Cabaret.?

In ?TMV,? which ends its run at RCBC Theater tomorrow, he shares the stage with Tommy Abuel, Michael Williams, Rem Zamora, Pete Delfin and Joaquin Valdes.