“Romantique Part 1”, the first of two truly unique EPs that celebrate the rich-velvet tones that came before him and set the template for the way he would come to wield his own incredible instrument for decades to come. Romantique Part 1is a high-production volume of carefully selected classics, done as always with a nod and respect to the original as Downing deftly makes each song his own. This project is deeply personal and heartfelt. Most certainly, Downing found kinship and early inspiration from his baritone brethren, if one can imagine the challenge of being a young aspiring artist without hearing similar voices to your own on the radio. So why this project and this artist? For one, no one can argue that a send-off to the artistry of the likes of Barry White, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hayes or Jon Lucien (to name a few) is not both long overdue and well deserved. However, probably the most important reason for Downing doing such a tribute…he’s one of the only artists who could.