In the wake of his wife’s unexpected death from a heart ailment in 2018, AJ Croce found comfort in the past: he returned to some of his favorite music, songs he’d play at parties and jam sessions with fellow musicians. Hence the name “By Request”: these are the songs he’d play to entertain a close crowd. By Request retains that boisterous, intimate feel, capturing Croce and his touring band playing cherished songs from throughout his life. Many titles will be familiar to audiences, too, yet the cover choices aren’t tired. He revives the Five Stairsteps’ sweet, soulful “Ooh Child,” rolls right through Randy Newman’s “Have You Seen My Baby,” lays back on Allen Toussaint’s “Brickyard Blues,” jumps with Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing,” cruises through the Beach Boys’ “Sail on Sailor,” and lingers on the poetry of Tom Waits’ “San Diego Serenade.” Croce’s arrangements stick to the originals but don’t treat them as sacred texts: as a pianist and vocalist, he glides through the changes, savoring the lyrical and melodic turns of phrases and taking solos to suit his mood. The result is a spirited, nourishing listen, a low-key testament to the restoring power of music. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine,