Anton Fig: “Figments” (2002/2015) CD Review

Anton Fig is known for being the drummer on Late Night With David Letterman and The Late Show With David Letterman, and he has appeared on numerous albums over the years. His first solo album, Figments, which was originally released in the spring of 2002, features an interesting variety of styles and different musicians for each track. Many of these musicians and vocalists are people with whom he had worked before, appearing on their albums. Here they get a chance to return the favor. This CD features original material, written or co-written by Anton Fig. And in addition to drums, Anton Fig plays rhythm guitar and bass on this album. Many of these tracks (though not all) are quite good.

The opening track, “Home,” features Blondie Chaplin on vocals and guitar. This track, particularly because of the vocal approach, reminds me of Peter Gabriel. It’s a cool song, and it uses some African rhythms (Anton Fig was born in South Africa). Mo Gee is on flute, and Bakithi Kumalo plays bass on this track. “Home” was written by Blondie Chaplin and Anton Fig, as was the following track, “Hand On My Shoulder,” which also features Bakithi Kumalo on bass. “Hand On My Shoulder” has a lot of late 1980s pop influences, and makes me think of Elton John and Peter Cetera. Brian Wilson provides some backing vocals on this track. Blondie Chaplin had briefly been a member of The Beach Boys in the early 1970s. I really like the lines, “Yesterday’s gone/Tomorrow will never be the same.” There are more 1980s sounds on “Inside Out,” which features Ivan Neville on vocals, Catherine Russell on backing vocals, and Randy Brecker on flugelhorn.

With “More Than Friends,” there’s not much to speak of lyrically, but that’s Richie Havens on vocals, and he takes these average lyrics and raises them to something much better. Catherine Russell again joins on backing vocals, and this track features Enrique Vargas on flamenco guitar.

Anton Fig was a member of Frehley’s Comet for a few years, and Ace Frehley joins Anton Fig on lead guitar on “Know Where You Go.” This is a hard rock song that I don’t care for at all. It features Sebastian Bach (from Skid Row) on vocals. I could also do without “Heart Of Darkness,” with its verses delivered as rap. However, the instrumental section at the end, with the cool percussion and Lew Soloff on trumpet, is wonderful.

One of the most interesting tracks is “3:4 Folk,” which features both Richard Bona and Amit Chaterjee on vocals, creating an unusual combination of styles. And of course Richard Bona also plays bass on this track. This one does remind me a bit of Sting.

“Jan/Feb/March” is a children’s song designed to teach kids the months (it’s also been called “Months Of The Year” and “The Calendar Song”). It’s certainly unexpected on this CD, and has a ridiculously fun and energetic rhythm, plus a horn section. This song is about nothing, but is oddly one of my favorite tracks, like when They Might Be Giants sing the alphabet in “Who Put The Alphabet In Alphabetical Order.” Tony Cedras is on vocals, and also plays piano, accordion and banjo. That’s followed by another of my favorites, “Tears,” a really nice instrumental track featuring Tony Cedras on piano and accordion. This one too has a horn section: Chris Botti on trumpet and Andy Snitzer on saxophone. And I dig the bass by Chris Minh Doky.

The album concludes with its other instrumental track, “KWYG II,” which features Oz Noy on lead guitar and Chris Palmero on organ. And, actually, there is a hidden track after this one: a bit of studio banter; then, after another pause, we're treated to a bit of a cappella singing from Brian Wilson, which is very pretty. This is the isolated track of his harmonies from “Hand On My Shoulder.”

CD Track List

1. Home
2. Hand On My Shoulder
3. Inside Out
4. More Than Friends
5. Know Where You Go
6. Utopia
7. 3:4 Folk
8. Jan/Feb/March
9. Tears
10. When The Good Die Young
11. Anyway That You Want Me
12. Heart Of Darkness
13. KWYG II 

Figments was released on August 14, 2015. The original issue from the spring of 2002 was a limited-edition pressing.

Dave Wilson Quartet: “There Was Never” (2015) CD Review

There Was Never, the new album from Dave Wilson Quartet, features mostly original material, written by the saxophonist. And the choices of the CD’s few covers are good ones from my perspective, being three songs I love. On this release, Dave Wilson is joined by Bobby Avey on piano, Tony Marino on acoustic bass and Alex Ritz on drums. (Tony Marino had played on Wilson’s previous release, 2010’s Spiral.) This album was recorded in two days of February this year, at Red Rock Studios in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. The CD includes liner notes by Bill Milkowski, featuring quotations from an interview with Dave Wilson, as well as some photos.

The opening track, “The Time Has Come,” begins with an interesting rhythm, and soon Dave Wilson’s saxophone is soaring and shouting above it. It feels like bordering on chaos at moments, but I love the glorious relentless energy of this one, with leads on saxophone and then on piano, the drums continuing to rumble wildly throughout. And then, nearly five minutes in, the tune relaxes a bit, like the day is ending and the song, almost reluctantly, is turning in. But then there is a collective changing of mind, and it kicks again, as if intending to blow on through the night.

The first of the album’s three covers is “Cassidy,” one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, one they played at one of the best shows I ever attended – June 17, 1991 at Giants Stadium. It originally appeared on the Bob Weir “solo” album, Ace, which was released in 1972. I got a chance to talk about this song with lyricist John Barlow a few years ago when I met him at a Yonder Mountain String Band show. I told him it was always one of my favorite Dead songs, and he told me it was one of his favorites too. There is something really beautiful about “Cassidy,” and Dave Wilson Quartet definitely taps into that beauty in this version. “Cassidy” can also include some excellent jams (like that version from June 17, 1991), and this rendition has the energy of some of the best jams, always returning to that familiar theme. In the liner notes, Dave Wilson is quoted as saying he went to approximately thirty Dead shows, and his fondness and appreciation for the band’s music is apparent in his interpretation of “Cassidy.”

That’s followed by “God Only Knows,” which is probably my favorite Beach Boys song. It’s such a beautiful song, written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, and originally included on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album. And Dave Wilson keeps the tempo slow and sweet, his saxophone following that pretty vocal line. This is a really nice version, and Dave Wilson treats the material respectfully while certainly adding his own touch.

“There Was Never,” the CD’s title track, is one of my favorites. It has several sections, and yet maintains a great flow. There is even a bit of funk here that works really well. I am particularly fond of what Bobby Avey does on piano here. And Alex Ritz provides some fantastic drumming (toward the end there is a drum solo, which is really good, but it’s his playing earlier that really impresses me). And throughout this piece you can hear what a damned good bass player Tony Marino is. The band is really together, through all the changes, and there is also a sense a fun, of play here that is wonderful.

“Master Plan” is a wild and delightful beast of a tune, with the saxophone blowing madly over a great rhythm. It begins easily enough, especially after the intense playing of the previous track, “Smooth Sailing,” but it’s not long before things get swinging, and then just launch off from there. Check out what Tony Marino does on bass like four minutes into this one. There’s also an interesting section with some nice, quiet touches on keys like six minutes in, and then it builds again from there. This is a fantastic track.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll undoubtedly say it again, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. The third and final cover on this album is “Summertime,” originally written for Porgy And Bess. There have been thousands of recordings of this song over the years. I think the first one I heard was that by Janis Joplin, back in my early teens. The version on this CD has some interesting changes, like the groovy bass lead only a minute and a half in. I love where the song goes from there, the way the piano and drums work together to create something of an intense rhythm. This is certainly not a mellow rendition of the song.

The CD then concludes with “On The Prairie,” an original composition, with a somewhat whimsical feel near the beginning. This one also has some really sweet and pretty moments.

CD Track List

1. The Time Has Come
2. Cassidy
3. God Only Knows
4. There Was Never
5. Smooth Sailing
6. Master Plan
7. Feeling Peaceful
8. Summertime
9. On The Prairie 

There Was Never is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2015 through Zoho Music.

Funkyjenn: “Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen” (2013) CD Review

I recently caught a couple of sets by Funkyjenn at Ireland’s 32, and really enjoyed their music. They played the majority of tracks from their 2013 release, Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen, an album that was produced by Ted Russell Kamp and Jennifer Gibbons. It was through Ted Russell Kamp that I became interested in this band, and on this album he plays bass, Hammond, acoustic guitar and percussion, as well as providing some backing vocals. Also joining Jenn on this CD is Carl Byron, a musician I’ve admired for quite some time, having seen him perform with Anne McCue a couple of times, and having heard him on several other discs, including Mason Summit’s Loud Music & Soft Drinks, Steve Casper & Cowboy Angst’s Endless Sky, Skyline Drive’s Topanga Ranch Motel, and of course on Anne McCue’s Blue Sky Thinkin’. On this CD he plays Wurlitzer, piano, organ and clavinet. Rounding out the band are Dan Wistrom on guitar and Jamie Douglass on drums. This is an excellent band, no question, but it is Jenn’s vocals which of course are the driving force of this music.

The CD opens with “Shoulda Been My Lover,” the song Funkyjenn closed the second set with the other night. It’s a rousing rock and roll number that right away shows the power of Jenn’s vocals, as she belts out the lyrics: “You’ve got me pinned against the jukebox and you just won’t leave me alone/You had your chance with me oh so many years ago.” That is followed by “Boom Boom,” a song that Ted Russell Kamp included on The Low And Lonesome Sound, which was released this summer. And it is this song that got me interested in Funkyjenn. This is one of my favorites. It has a great rhythm and is a lot of fun. And of course it does make me think of John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom” when Jenn sings the title line. It was written by Jennifer Gibbons, John Schreffler and Ted Russell Kamp. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Come a little bit closer/I’ll give you the goods/Whatever you wish for/It’s understood/That I am yours, boy, and yours alone/Hang up your tie, hang up your cares, hang up the phone.”

Probably my favorite track on this disc, however, is “Butterflies Bleed,” a slower, more soulful song, with a passionate and moving vocal delivery. “When you held my hand/I knew I was at your command/But the feeling was too strong to mention.” And of course I love the organ on this track. “Butterflies Bleed” is just a wonderful and strong song.

“Nashville, TN” is a solid bar-type rock tune, with some nice work on both keys and guitar. It’s followed by “Outta Sight Outta Mind,” the only song I hadn’t heard prior to popping in this CD, and it’s another of my favorites. This is another slower number, and it features some excellent work on violin by Aubrey Richmond (this is another musician I admire; I think I first heard Richmond play on the Kelly’s Lot album Plain Simple Me). There is a delightful beauty to this song. And I love Jenn’s vocal delivery, particularly on lines like “I’ll find someone else/It’s easy to do/He’ll play me a song/And buy me a drink or two/Then he’ll take me home/Lean in for a kiss/I’ll pretend that I like it/And that you don’t exist.”

The CD closes with its title track, “Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen,” which was written by Ted Russell Kamp. This is a good, lively rock and roll tune, which has something of a 1970s vibe to it. “The show begins when the clock strikes midnight/It’s the witching hour, and everybody’s feeling all right.” Oh yes.

CD Track List

1. Shoulda Been My Lover
2. Boom Boom
3. Butterflies Bleed
4. Nashville, TN
5. Outta Sight Outta Mind
6. Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen

Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen was released on November 12, 2013.

Love: “Reel To Real” (1974/2015) CD Review

Love’s final studio album, Reel To Real, is finally getting an official CD release. It’s incredible to me that this hasn’t been released before, for it’s an absolutely excellent album. Yes, it is quite a bit different from the band’s earlier releases, sounding nothing like the music of Forever Changes, the band’s most popular record. Of course, the band itself – apart from Arthur Lee – is completely different on those two records. As much as I love Forever Changes, Reel To Real, taken on its own, is just as good. Seriously. And this deluxe edition includes tons of previously unreleased bonus material, including outtakes and alternate mixes and takes. Sure, we had a long wait for this one, but the folks who put together this package were clearly determined to make it up to us. And they totally succeeded. In addition to twelve bonus tracks, the CD includes extensive liner notes by David Fricke (with some biographical information – hey, Arthur Lee has the same birthday as me) and by Steven Rosen, along with several photos. Forget what you might have heard. Just put this on and enjoy.

The album opens with “Time Is Like A River,” which has a groovy, joyous feel. The summer can be endless if you play tunes like this one. “Keep on rolling, keep on rolling, keep on rolling.” It’s followed by “Stop The Music,” a wonderful bluesy soul gem, which features some cool work on harmonica by Arthur Lee. In this one he sings, “Well, I’ve been lonely and I’ve been blue/I ain’t had no loving, baby, since I had you,” but the song is about getting back on his feet. He sings that he’s “going out tonight,” determined to have a good time, to not give up. This one ends quietly with just Arthur’s voice, and then the next song bursts in, this great funky dance number titled “Who Are You?” There is some fantastic stuff on percussion driving this tune. He keeps things rolling with “Good Old Fashion Dream,” which has such a great joyous energy. I love the horns.

“Which Witch Is Which” is an unexpected, unusual tune that is bluesy with delicious psychedelic bits on electric guitar. But it is the acoustic guitar and vocals which are at the heart of this one. The odd lyrics urge, “Don’t be me/Don’t be you” and “Don’t be good/Don’t be bad/Don’t be happy/Don’t be sad.” And then it’s back to funky dance and soul with “With A Little Energy.” When Arthur Lee sings, “Love’s got the power,” is he talking about the emotion or his own band? I think both.

“Singing Cowboy” is a song that Love included on an earlier album, Four Sail. Interestingly, at the end of this song Arthur sings, “Keep on rolling” as he does on the opening track. On this CD you get two versions of it, as the bonus tracks include an alternate take. On the alternate take in particular Arthur at times makes me think of Blood, Sweat And Tears. He doesn’t sing “Keep on rolling” at the end of this version (but he does ask for something to drink). “Singing Cowboy” was written by Arthur Lee and Jay Donnellan. “Be Thankful For What You Got” is the album’s sole cover, written by William DeVaughn.

“You Said You Would” is kind of simple, but ends up being one of my favorites on this album. It has a good, catchy groove (I dig the bass), and lyrics that are easily remembered, and so you’ll be singing along soon enough. “Well, you said you would and you said you would/But now you’re gone/Well, you said you would/But you, you did me wrong.” The bonus tracks include the single mix. I prefer the album version.

Arthur Lee must enjoy juxtaposition and leading the listener on a ride, for the album’s hardest rocker, “Busted Feet,” leads directly into a soft, acoustic number, “Everybody’s Gotta Live,” which concludes the original album. “Everybody’s Gotta Live” is kind of simple too, Arthur’s vocals accompanied by some strumming on guitar, but it has this quiet, raw power, particularly in the chorus, where he is joined by backing vocalists. The bonus tracks include an electric version of this song, which has quite a different feel, with a more pronounced groove, but works really well. Interestingly, both of these songs were also included on Arthur Lee’s 1972 solo album, Vindicator, though not positioned together on that record. The electric version of “Everybody’s Gotta Live” is closer to the rendition included in Vindicator.

Bonus Tracks

This deluxe edition contains twelve bonus tracks, eleven of which were previously unreleased. “Do It Yourself” is an electrifying funky number with an empowering message. “Don’t let no one make a fool of you/’Cause you can make it if you want to/You’ve got to learn to do it yourself.” It’s a wonderful, energetic tune. “Somebody” is a really good rock number, with some nice work on electric guitar, and I love those moments on vocals where he just lets loose.

“You Gotta Feel It” is a sweet, gentle soul number with a good groove. This is actually one of my favorite tracks on this CD, and to think this was an outtake, unreleased until now. Crazy. “’Cause if you feel it in your heart/It won’t be long, you’ll soon be home.” I love this song.

Some of the bonus tracks include a bit of studio banter, such as the alternate take of “Stop The Music,” where at the beginning Arthur says, “You can relax, you know what I mean, let’s get into more of a groove.” “Graveyard Hop” also has some studio banter at the end. This tune is kind of a weird version of “Jailhouse Rock” for your Halloween party, and I love it. “Everybody at the funeral hall was dancing to the graveyard hop.” (The second and third times he sings that line it sounds like “funeral march.”) It has a wild, Little Richard-type energy. And then the CD’s closing track, “Wonder People (I Do Wonder),” has just a bit of banter at the beginning and at the end.

CD Track List

1. Time Is Like A River
2. Stop The Music
3. Who Are You?
4. Good Old Fashion Dream
5. Which Witch Is Which
6. With A Little Energy
7. Singing Cowboy
8. Be Thankful For What You Got
9. You Said You Would
10. Busted Feet
11. Everybody’s Gotta Live
12. Do It Yourself
13. I Gotta Remember
14. Somebody
15. You Gotta Feel It
16. With A Little Energy (Alternate Mix)
17. Busted Feet (Alternate Mix)
18. You Said You Would (Single Mix)
19. Stop The Music (Alternate Take)
20. Graveyard Hop (Studio Rehearsal)
21. Singing Cowboy (Alternate Take)
22. Everybody’s Gotta Live (Electric Version)
23. Wonder People (I Do Wonder) (Studio Rehearsal) 

This special deluxe issue of Reel To Real is scheduled to be released on November 27, 2015 through High Moon Records.

The Resonant Heads: “This Is Getting Fun” (2008) CD Review

The Resonant Heads are a Los Angeles-based pop rock band, with some definite 1960s influences, as well as a bit of punk attitude. Their debut album, This Is Getting Fun, which was released in 2008, is largely the work of two people: Dawn Frinta and Michael Sattin. They wrote all the material and played the majority of the instruments, though are joined by some friends on certain tracks. This CD is everything I could want from pop rock – fun rhythms, catchy riffs, great energy, excellent vocals, and positive vibes.

This Is Getting Fun opens with “I’ll Take You,” which begins with the drums quickly fading in, like the band is rapidly approaching us, and then there is some great work on electric guitar before the vocals come in. The hell with easing in, this band announces its presence immediately with a fun rock tune that you’ll likely want to turn up. Brad Gordon does those cool guitar solos on this track. But Dawn Frinta’s vocals are what I like most about this song, with a great combination of sweet friendliness and kick-ass power. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Well, I don’t make concessions/And I don’t read subscriptions/But I’ll take you.” It’s a strong opener, and it’s followed by “It’s Not Me,” a rock tune which has a great raw edge at times, particularly in the vocals, while still maintaining a very good groove. John Wolf plays drums on this track (as well as on several others).

Near the end of “Kiss My Love,” there is a surprising, mellow section with some interesting work on guitar. I dig it, and then I love the way the song quickly builds back from there, like dipping low only to be able to go right back to those heights. That one is followed by one of my personal favorites, “Unglued.” It’s got this great pop groove, along with attitude, which makes for a seriously good tune. Plus, there are some great lyrics, like these lines: “And I’d save you if I could/It does no good to please you” and “Have your little fun/Don’t come undone ‘til I do.” Robin Fallowfield plays rhythm guitar on this track.

But my absolute favorite track is the CD’s closing number, “War.” This song delights me for so many reasons, and on several levels. The first time I heard it, a few of the lines had me laughing aloud. I mean, hell, the first line is “War isn’t fun anymore.” That had me from the start, and that line is followed by “It’s like we’ve got to appease the left and right/And everyone in between.” Great, right? And then it pokes fun at a phrase that I hear a lot and despise: “It’s like we’ve got to agree to disagree.” By the way, one of the other lines that struck me as hilarious is “Vietnam ruined everything,” particularly in context. Plus, the song is just so cool, even if, for some reason, you don’t want to pay attention to the lyrics. Perry Ostrin plays drums on this track, and Amanda Mullins and Robin Fallowfield provide backing vocals.

CD Track List

1. I’ll Take You
2. It’s Not Me
3. Kiss My Love
4. Unglued
5. Your Mistake
6. Collide
7. Good As Gold
8. War

This Is Getting Fun was released in 2008.

Funkyjenn at Ireland’s 32, 10-8-15

I became aware of Funkyjenn through Ted Russell Kamp, whose new CD I reviewed recently. On that album, The Low And Lonesome Sound, he does a tune called “Boom Boom,” which I learned is a song he also plays with Funkyjenn. And that’s what got me interested. So when I saw that Funkyjenn was playing at Ireland’s 32, a bar I used to frequent, and on a night I had off to boot, well, it was too perfect to pass up. Plus, I had a relatively late call in the morning, so no worries about hangovers. Some live music, some Guinness, and I am a happy boy.

Jenn had a great four-piece band supporting her, including Ted Russell Kamp on bass and backing vocals, Storm Rhode on guitar and backing vocals, Jeff Howell on keys, and Jim Doyle on drums. She opened with a couple of originals, showing the power of her voice, then did a nice rendition of “You’re No Good,” introducing it by saying, “You might know this one.” She followed that with “Marry Me,” which features some good lyrics like, “I want to swim in your ocean/I want to drown in your sea/I want to live inside you/I’m going to get you to marry me.” She then proved she could be sweet with her cover of Paul Williams’ “Ordinary Fool.” That song is from the film Bugsy Malone, which starred Scott Baio, and mention of his name began a little conversation between the band and certain members of the audience. (That movie, by the way, also stars a young Jodie Foster.) “Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen” is a good rock and roll song, though the music did drown out her vocals a bit on this one, and it was hard to make out all the lyrics. She ended the first set with “Nashville, TN.”

After a set break, the band came back with a cover of “Only You Know And I Know,” followed by an original tune which Jenn said is not on any of her CDs, and then a good cover of the country tune “There He Goes,” which was famously done by Patsy Cline. During the second set, we were treated to Ted Russell Kamp singing lead on three songs: “If I Had A Dollar,” “Dixie” and “Roll On Through The Night.” In his introduction to “Dixie,” Ted mentioned John Cougar’s “Jack And Diane,” which brought me back briefly to my very first concert (John Cougar opened for Heart). They then rounded out the second set with the wonderful “Butterflies Bleed” and the energetic “Shoulda Been My Lover,” both of which are on Funkyjenn’s Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen CD.

Here are the set lists. I apologize for the title I don’t know.

Set I

1. Coming On Too Strong
2. Forgive And Forget
3. You’re No Good
4. Marry Me
5. Ordinary Fool
6. Rock And Roll Voodoo Queen
7. Nashville, TN

Set II

1. Only You Know And I Know
2. (title?)
3. There He Goes
4. If I Had A Dollar
5. Dixie
6. Roll On Through The Night
7. Butterflies Bleed
8. Shoulda Been My Lover

The second set ended at 11:48 p.m., and I had to get going soon after that, so I wasn’t able to catch the third set.

Here are a few photos from the show:

"Only You Know And I Know"

Lou Volpe: “Remembering Ol’ Blue Eyes (Songs Of Sinatra)” (2015) CD Review

Jazz guitarist Lou Volpe’s new CD, Remembering Ol’ Blue Eyes (Songs Of Sinatra), features tunes that Frank Sinatra recorded and made famous. It’s interesting that a CD paying homage to Frank Sinatra is actually an instrumental album. After all, it’s not like Sinatra wrote any of these songs. What Sinatra is known for is his voice. That being said, this is a really good CD by an accomplished guitarist, capturing the spirit of Sinatra’s approach, his passion, and of course command of the material. Lou Volpe’s guitar work has a smooth, delicious flow, feeling effortless and clear, like speaking.  Lou Volpe is based in New York, and has recorded with many artists over the years.

The CD opens with a really good rendition of “I’ll Remember April,” a song written by Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, and Don Raye. This version has a good groove, and some nice work on drums by Buddy Williams, as well as wonderful work on guitar. Sinatra released his version as a single, and also included it on his Point Of No Return album.

One of Frank Sinatra’s most famous recordings is his version of “It Was A Very Good Year,” a song written by Ervin Drake and originally recorded by The Kingston Trio. Sinatra included it on his 1965 record September Of My Years, and his recording won him a Grammy. Lou Volpe’s rendition has more of a pronounced groove at the beginning, and some nice work by Leo Traversa on bass. There is also some nice interplay between guitar and keyboard, and then approximately halfway through there is a really cool and interesting section that makes me think of whales singing this tune. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you hear it. And Lou Volpe’s guitar really shines on the following track, “You Go To My Head.”

But one of my favorite tracks is Lou Volpe’s rendition of “A Foggy Day,” a song composed by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, and originally recorded by Fred Astaire. It was included on many Frank Sinatra records, including Songs For Young Lovers and Ring-A-Ding-Ding! As for Volpe’s version, in addition to some great work on guitar, this one features some excellent work on keys by Mel Davis. It does feel odd that it fades out, but that’s all right. You can never go wrong with Gershwin. Another song that Sinatra included on several records is “One For My Baby,” written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. Lou Volpe gives it a bluesy edge from the start, and his rendition isn’t nearly as mellow as many versions such as Sinatra’s version from Only The Lonely.

Another song that Sinatra really made famous is “That’s Life,” which was written by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, and originally recorded by Marion Montgomery. Lou Volpe’s rendition doesn’t have the same energy as Sinatra’s, and has a more bluesy feel, but still works well. “The Best Is Yet To Come” is another song closely associated with Frank Sinatra, though again other artists recorded it before he did. On this CD, Volpe gives it a bit of a bossa nova feel, with Gary Fritz on percussion. As a side note, “The Best Is Yet To Come” is the last song Frank Sinatra performed.

I love what Lou Volpe does with “All The Things You Are,” picking up the pace, his guitar flying over the wonderful groove by Leo Traversa on bass and Buddy Williams on drums. This is a total treat, and one of my personal favorite tracks. “All The Things You Are” was written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The CD ends with “Europa,” which was written by Carlos Santana, and is the one tune here not to have been recorded by Frank Sinatra. It is one of Santana's most famous compositions, and Lou Volpe delivers it as a guitar solo, dedicating it “to the Brilliance of Frank.”

CD Track List

1. I’ll Remember April
2. Speak Low
3. It Was A Very Good Year
4. You Go To My Head
5. A Foggy Day
6. One For My Baby
7. Days Of Wine And Roses
8. That’s Life
9. Softly As I Leave You
10. The Best Is Yet To Come
11. I Get A Kick Out Of You
12. All The Things You Are
13. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
14. Europa

Remembering Ol’ Blue Eyes is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2015 on Jazz Guitar Records.