In affairs of the heart, many people can aptly be described as "helpless romantics." Rob Keiter labels himself as such. But engage the jazz vocalist in conversation and you"ll find that the moniker of "hopeful romantic" would be far more apropos. Despite enduring the painful dissolution of a twenty-three-year marriage, he still believes in love. With love as his muse, Keiter recorded his first "serious" jazz record, The Glory of Love, a collection of love songs. He used the recording process to work through his grief and along the way, found new hope by singing the dozen songs that comprise the collection.

"I wanted to do not only jazz standards, but old and new songs that would appeal to a wide audience with the message of love entwined in jazz," said Keiter. "Specifically, I wanted to present songs that portray the complete circle of love: desire for love, first inklings of love, falling in love, love's devotion, love's failure, hope for new love and the celebration of love."

Along with producers Amber and Rob Whitlock, the process began by creating a list of 120 jazz standards. The list was pared down and contemporary love songs by Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, John Lennon & Paul McCartney, and Neil Sedaka were selected. "Most jazz standards are really love songs - happy or sad - if you really think about it," declared Keiter. "The songs we elected to record all have a truth about them that will touch people"s hearts."

With the songbook in hand, The Whitlock's assembled fine musicians from both coasts to help bring the project to fruition. After laying down tracks and scratch vocals, Rob Whitlock called upon Grammy-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker to ask if he might be willing to perform on a song or two. Although initially skeptical because he seldom makes appearances on albums by unknown artists, Brecker agreed to listen to a couple tracks. The next day, he emailed Rob Whitlock from the airport in Paris to say how impressed he was with Keiter's voice and The Whitlock's production and arrangements. Brecker agreed to be featured playing trumpet or flugelhorn on four of the album's tracks. "Randy is as wonderful of a person as he is a musician. He has continued to be a source of encouragement to me regarding releasing this project and an inspiration for me to continue to grow as a vocalist and musician," shared a humbled Keiter.

Others corralled by The Whitlock's included acoustic bassist Trey Henry, drummer Cliff Almond and guitarist Pat Kelley. Rob Whitlock played piano on the disc and Amber Whitlock shared the vocal spotlight with Keiter on two songs. In addition to Brecker's magic touch, the horn section consisted of Wayne Bergeron (trumpet and flugelhorn), Andy Martin (trombone) and John Rekevics (saxes and flute). The album was engineered by Grammy-winner Phil Magnotti and mastered by Grammy-winner Doug Sax.

The Glory of Love opens with Rodgers & Hammerstein's "This Nearly Was Mine." "Ever since seeing the movie The King and I, I have always loved this song. It is a sad song about the loss of a love that could have been," offered Keiter about the song that set the tone for the entire album because of a defining moment in the recording studio. Keiter was in the midst of a dark period after his marriage ended. While in the vocal booth to record this song, a torrential downpour of tears hit unexpectedly. He was overcome by a wave of emotion. "The song had just started and tears were flooding down my face. I didn't know how I would get through it, but somehow I kept singing and never stopped crying. Even when the song finished, I sat in the corner of the vocal booth and wept. Everyone in the control room felt that something special had happened. We decided not to track that song again. What you hear on the album is the one and only take. Having sung my whole life, I would say that I truly found my voice in that experience."

"It was one of the last songs we recorded for the album, but because the voice I found was so different than everything else we had already recorded, I flew back out to California to re-record the other songs on the album. My voice is softer and I utilized a different mic technique."

Although Rob Whitlock dispensed a wealth of notes in a powerful piano solo, it's the force of the horn section that animates the first of two Wonder compositions, "Looking For Another Pure Love." "Since I'm a trombonist, it was a real thrill to have the best session horn players in the business on my album," Keiter enthused.

The first track serviced to radio stations, "Laughter in the Rain" opens with piano and voice and adds an upright bass before delving into a swinging, straight-ahead jazz rhythm. Keiter sings a full scat solo mid-tune. He revealed, "All the scats on the album were from the original scratch recordings."

Starting slowly, the title track assumes the qualities of a snappy show tune. It's a duet between Keiter and Amber Whitlock adorned with a masterful Brecker solo and the full horn section. "This song encapsulates what I wanted to say on the album," stated Keiter.

A poignant version of Bacharach & David's "Alfie" is sparsely produced leaving "the vocals naked and exposed. It's the only piano and vocal tune on the album." Lyrically, the song highlights Keiter's message: "I believe in love..without true love we just exist."

Keiter's jazzy take on "For No One" retains the air of sadness of The Beatles' original.

"'What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" is my favorite ballad in the world. I was blown away by Rob's (Whitlock) creative and fresh arrangement," opined Keiter.

Wanting to record a song sung by Frank Sinatra, Keiter's "Get Happy," boasting a boisterous Brecker trumpet solo, is a mainstream, straight-ahead jazz version that was "the fastest tempo I ever sang. I do a partial scat and the second half of the run was planned with Rob (Whitlock) so that the voice and piano mirrored each other," revealed Keiter.

"Our Loving Eyes" is a ballad authored by Kathie Lee Gifford and Phil Sillas to mark the 50th wedding anniversary of Reverend Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth. "This song encompasses the absolute devotion of love and romance. It represents longevity and the commitment to marriage," said Keiter, who once met Reverend Graham.

The Whitlock's wrote the inspirational "Grateful For A Pleasant Trip" specifically for Keiter. "I listen to this song for encouragement. It points to God's grace. It's (the lyrics are) so true. It's uplifting," shared Keiter. A Rob Whitlock piano solo bridges to a Keiter scat.

"Without a doubt, as the Bacharach & David song says, the one thing that the world needs now and has always needed is love," declared Keiter, who recorded a relatively traditional version of the classic that includes an astute Brecker solo.

Recorded originally by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway, Keiter and Amber Whitlock duet on Wonder's "You Are My Heaven," a fun, upbeat track with a contemporary arrangement and additional heat supplied by the fiery horn section. "It was really special having my daughter, Rachel, join us in the studio to do background vocals. She attends the Berklee College of Music and we were in Connecticut to record Randy (Brecker). Rachel took the train in and ended up on the album," said the proud papa with a big smile.

Music runs in the Keiter family. His mother was a trained concert pianist and his son is a drummer in an emerging indie rock band. Keiter started singing in church choirs at age six and began learning the trombone and piano a few years later. As a teenager in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he played in a band with Rob Whitlock. The two shared a love of jazz. Keiter majored in music performance at the University of Texas Arlington, where he played trombone in the jazz orchestra. It was during this time that he developed his talent in the art of scat singing. After graduating, he performed in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and commenced getting involved with the advertising jingle market. However, Keiter instead decided to pursue a master's degree in theology and later earned a doctorate in ministry. He combined his passions for music and the spiritual by serving as the music director for a number of large churches. After a move to Charleston, South Carolina, Keiter taught voice and music theory along with his work as a church music director and performed on the local scene.

In 2005, after twenty-three years, Keiter and Rob Whitlock reunited at the funeral for one of the members of their teenage band. Rob and Amber Whitlock listened to an album of jazzy Christmas songs Keiter recorded and heard something special in his voice. They suggested that Keiter record for their San Diego-based record label, Sketchin' Records, and offered to produce an album. "Doing this CD wasn't really my dream. With what I was going through (emotionally) at the time, I never would have recorded an album of love songs. It was The Whitlock's who pushed and encouraged me. I'm so grateful that they did. The entire project is the result of their encouragement, belief in me, and their loving support. Everyone involved (with the album) contributed something special and unique to the album," said Keiter, who views himself as a musician, not just a vocalist. "You have to really know music."

Keiter concluded, "What has been a life-long dream and passion, a dream realized with the release of The Glory of Love, is making great music with great musicians. My hope is that the album will not only be enjoyed by jazz enthusiasts everywhere, but also be a source of comfort, healing, and hope to those who have lost love, as well as an opportunity to celebrate for those in love. I can't wait to get started on my next album of love songs with the desire of sharing love with every person who hears my voice."

And in the end, the guy gets his girl. Earlier this year, Keiter relocated to Oklahoma City to be with his new love. The glory of love indeed.