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James Darren: Because of You
by Bob Powers
Big Band singers are somewhat of a vanishing breed. Many vocalists today feel uncomfortable with 16 musicians blasting away behind them. But James Darren, who has emerged as one of the better singers of his generation, isn’t among that crew who feel a pitti-pat of the heart when the band stretches out behind him.Darren’s latest CD from Concord Records displays a singer in full control of his instrument and very much at home with the talented musicians who ...
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by Jim Santella
Big band and orchestra arrangements by Patrick Williams, Bob Krogstadt, David Campbell and Ray Ellis make James Darren's latest album swing gracefully through all fourteen popular songs. These are the songs we've grown up with. Cookin' like Count Basie, the band comes alive with the kind of bouncing rhythms that get your whole body into it. A veteran singer and a music lover, Darren has chosen songs that have a strong effect on the listener. He swings them with ease. ...
read moreJames Darren: This One's From The Heart
by Jim Santella
With a top-notch big band right out of the Count Basie tradition, singer James Darren croons with Frank Sinatra’s phrasing and a natural timbre ideally suited for entertaining the masses. Reprising last season’s Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character Vic Fontaine, Darren swings with charm and credibility. Aren’t all singers actors? Singing comes naturally to the 63-year-old singer/actor/director whose acting career includes featured roles in several Gidget movies, The Gene Krupa Story (starring Sal Mineo), Westerns, science fiction, and mature ...
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by John Sharpe
File this one under “Sinatra-lite"-- very lite! For readers too young to remember, former teen heart-throb James Darren starred in Gidgit in the late-50s and scored a Top-10 hit in 1961 with Goodbye Cruel World. His career was rejuvenated recently with his portrayal of swingin' lounge singer Vic Fontaine on the TV series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This One's From The Heart attempts to cash in on the popularity of this show. While the handsome actor still looks damn ...
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