Musicians
Gerard Carelli, Trombone and vocals
John Oddo, Piano/arranger
Jay Leonhart, bass
Dave Ratajczak, drums
Frank Vento, Guitar/banjo
Dan Block, Tenor sax/clarinet
Randy Sandke, Trumpet
James Saporito, Percussion
Tunes
Old devil moon
They say it's wonderful
New York, New York
It never entered my mind
The surrey with the fringe on top
Lucky to be me
Well worth waiting for
So in love
Always
I've got the world on a string
How are things in Glocca Morra?
Once in love with Amy
Leader of a big time band
Some other time
Review
It's always a rare treat in this age of garbled and gargled vocal interpretations to be able to hear someone articulate and clear without sacrificing musicality and style. Equally, when a vocalist gives the lyric the respect it deserves we ought to stand up and cheer. Gerard Carelli has been around and has paid some dues. A graduate from prestigious North Texas State University 1:00 Lab band to the pits of Broadway in shows like, Cats and Starlight Express, Gerard has done it all. He has worked with everyone from Ray Charles to salsa maestro, Manny Oquendo. His vocal style is charming, appealing and on dead center. And if that's not enough he's a wonderful trombonist who can be as gleeful as Frank Rosolino and as smooth as Tommy Dorsey.
He gets some wonderful backing on this CD from an array of very talented musicians starting with another great singer-musician on bass, Jay Leonhart. The arrangements on this set of standards are crisp and non&endash;intrusive by pianist Johnny Oddo.
Of particular note on the CD is the one original composition penned by Carelli. I cannot recall too many instances where a love song was written for the birth of a child. Well Worth Waiting for, the only original composition on the CD, penned by Carelli, is a beautiful and touching story about the event of becoming a parent and welcoming the child to the world.
Gerard's vocal style is a cross between Sinatra
and Bobby Darin with the inclusion of that musician styled hipness to
help make this CD swing without sounding like some nameless lounge
group. My only letdown was that I would have liked to hear him wail a
bit more on trombone, especially the uptempoed tunes. I guess I am
going to have to do some research on my own to find some of his
extended solos.
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