I’m a fan of the Bobby Lounge but I’m not a fan of live albums, and Bobby’s hasn’t changed my mind. The songs remain the songs, though some benefit from a more relaxed treatment than they got when recorded on studio albums. With time onstage, Lounge’s confidence as a piano player, singer and storyteller has grown, so the performances breathe more naturally. Still, they’re the songs you know if you’ve seen or heard him already. There’s nothing new but the jokes and shtick, which are funny, but not as funny as if you’re at the show. If live albums don’t tell you as much about a band as Kick Out the Jams or Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard or the Who Live at Leeds, they’re superfluous. A better ad for Bobby Lounge in concert than a home-listening experience.