This is a STUNNING track—it is everything that this song should be. The arrangement is terrific, the instrumental are sublime (the piano and sax are special highlights) and the vocal is like buttah … A high water mark!
—Russ Lorenson, RL Productions
Seventy years ago this May, Frank Sinatra recorded Nelson Riddle's arrangement of "Blame It On My Youth" with the Hollywood String Quartet. In 2023, Sean Hayes won a Tony Award portraying the song's composer, Oscar Levant, in Broadway's Good Night Oscar. In a moment that could later be categorized as foreshadowing, The Cafe Society played that production's opening night party.
Now, this Friday May 1, 2026, The Café Society releases their own arrangement of "Blame It On My Youth." Written by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman and originally recorded in 1934, the song has endured as one of the great ballads of the American Songbook. The veteran NYC quintet's new version of this timeless classic includes the song's rarely heard verse. Leaders Emily Wade Adams (vocals) and Justin Flynn (tenor saxophone) are joined by an all-star New York City rhythm section: pianist Rick Germanson (Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, and Marlena Shaw), bassist Jim Greene (Art Farmer, John Hicks), and drummer Joe Strasser (George Coleman, Jane Monheit, Harold Mabern).
The recording was mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Recording in New York City by four-time Grammy winner Dave Darlington, whose credits include work with Wayne Shorter, Samara Joy, and Herbie Hancock.
Justin Flynn, tenor saxophone
Rick Germanson, piano
Jim Greene, bass
Joe Strasser, drums
Owen Mulholland, recording engineer
Dave Darlington, mixing and mastering engineer
Recorded at GB's Juke Joint, Long Island City, New York City
Mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Recording, New York City © 2025. All rights reserved.
Now, this Friday May 1, 2026, The Café Society releases their own arrangement of "Blame It On My Youth." Written by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman and originally recorded in 1934, the song has endured as one of the great ballads of the American Songbook. The veteran NYC quintet's new version of this timeless classic includes the song's rarely heard verse. Leaders Emily Wade Adams (vocals) and Justin Flynn (tenor saxophone) are joined by an all-star New York City rhythm section: pianist Rick Germanson (Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, and Marlena Shaw), bassist Jim Greene (Art Farmer, John Hicks), and drummer Joe Strasser (George Coleman, Jane Monheit, Harold Mabern).
The recording was mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Recording in New York City by four-time Grammy winner Dave Darlington, whose credits include work with Wayne Shorter, Samara Joy, and Herbie Hancock.
About The Café Society
The Café Society is a New York City jazz quintet led by vocalist Emily Wade Adams and tenor saxophonist Justin Flynn. Named for the legendary integrated Greenwich Village club where the greats of the 1940s played, the duo collaborates with NYC's most in-demand musicians to deliver soulful, classic jazz standards performed at the highest level. "Blame It On My Youth" is the quintet's fourth single release.Personnel
Emily Wade Adams, vocalsJustin Flynn, tenor saxophone
Rick Germanson, piano
Jim Greene, bass
Joe Strasser, drums
Owen Mulholland, recording engineer
Dave Darlington, mixing and mastering engineer
Recorded at GB's Juke Joint, Long Island City, New York City
Mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Recording, New York City © 2025. All rights reserved.
