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Jazz Articles about Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco: Incredible!
by Jim Santella
He’s not yet 30, but Joey DeFrancesco earned his veteran stripes a long time ago. His B-3 performance on this latest Incredible! album ranges from hot and heavy to cool and lyrical. The organist drives Dizzy Gillespie’s “The Champ" and Charlie Parker’s favored “Indiana" into the streets with exciting solos from his working band: Paul Bollenback and Byron Landham. Bebop from a leader who learned it from his father in Philadelphia. DeFrancesco’s ballads remind me of Erroll Garner with his ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Joey DeFrancesco's Goodfellas
by Ed Kopp
You can just imagine a pitchman trying to sell this concept to the suits: “OK, everybody, here's the plan: We find us three Italian jazzers. We have 'em play tunes popularized by famous Italian Americans -- Old Blue Eyes and a couple more. We even throw in some old-country favorites -- “O Solo Mio" and such. The cover photo is the clincher! Listen to this: We dress the boys up like gangsters! We sit ‘em down in an Italian restaurant ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas
by Jim Santella
When you spend your youth growing up in South Philadelphia, the music of Frank Sinatra and the earlier music that influenced him has to have a major lasting impact on you. The timeless nature of standards such as “Young At Heart," “Fly Me to the Moon" and “All The Way" cannot be ignored. Other significant crooners such as Perry Como, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett have extended the feelings we harbor that these songs will live forever. For his latest ...
Continue ReadingJoey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas
by John Sharpe
Joey DeFrancesco, who was heavily influenced by organ maestro Jimmy Smith, is one of the most energetic and expressive Hammond B-3 players on the scene today. His sound combines huge slabs of swirling block chords with nimble, fleet-fingered keyboard runs. While the concept behind Goodfellas may seem a bit obvious and kitschy -- three Italian-Americans working out on some “Italian inspired" standards -- there is enough good music on this CD to make it a worthwhile purchase. The mood on ...
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