Frank DiSalvo

                                                   

I think the pictures posted above should tell you a lot about the Frank DiSalvo Show at the Indian Wells Resort Hotel. Frank DiSalvo is a performing dynamo who sings, plays guitar, tells great stories about the Sinatra era singers and even tells jokes.  All in a night's work for Frank. Frank simply loves to perform and perform he does on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the Indian Wells Resort Hotel. I have seen Frank perform many times but he never fails to surprise me with his talent and high energy. Because of his sincere love to sing and perform, Frank has won the hearts of many Valley residents and has developed the largest and most loyal fan base in the Desert.  His shows are always packed gaining more new fans every week.  I have done three blog reviews of Frank's show over the past three years and blogs about Frank DiSalvo are always my most requested.  Over the past four years that Music Man Blog has been published, all three of Frank's reviews are in the top 10 most popular blogs on my site.

From my perspective, there are a couple of reasons why Frank and his show are so popular.  First, Frank is an extremely talented singer who loves to sing "The Music Of Your Life". The songs that a lot of the residents in the Valley grew up with. He covers Sinatra, Martin, Sammy, Elvis, Nat King Cole and Bobby Darin just to mention a few. He always covers the best singers and songs of the 70's, 80's and 90's right up to the present time. Second, there is no one around today that puts on a show like Frank where people can sit back and rediscover their musical memories. Third, Frank is a most sincere and kind individual always looking to help someone in need. He is real and a quality individual.

Besides performing his show 3 nights a week, Frank also sings in the big band that performs every Sunday night at the Resort.  This band plays the charts from the big bands we loved bringing them back to life.

If you have not seen Frank's show, you must make plans to get over to Indian Wells to see for yourself what I am talking about. You will leave his show re-charged with a smile on your face and a song in your heart! Take a listen to the YouTube of Frank singing with the Ted Herman Big Band.    

                                                                                             

Book Review: "Hound Dog" The Leiber & Stoller Autobiography By Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller With David Ritz

If you love R & B and the "Rock & Roll" music of the 50's and 60's, HOUND D0G is the next book you should read!  If you write or dream about writing music and lyrics, The Leiber and Stoller example proves you have a chance to succeed but only if you are willing to dedicate your life and put your heart and soul into writing music. However even as successful Leiber and Stoller were as composers, they were always living on the financial edge even after writing some of the most successful songs in the history of the music writing business! Writing good music and lyrics is one thing, making a successful living out of it is a more difficult undertaking.

Leiber and Stoller's first love and perhaps their greatest love was the music that Black musicians were singing and playing in the 40's and 50's.  Mostly "Black Blues" music coming out of New Orleans, Chicago, LA and NY.  In addition to the "Blues" they both loved the new jazz style that was being played called "Bebop" along with the music of Fats Waller, Count Basie and the jazz pioneers like Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Erroll Garner, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. This was fine except for the fact that the big record labels like RCA, Columbia and Decca almost totally ignored the great Black artists of the times because they didn't think the music was worthwhile, artistically or commercially.  So as great as the writing of Leiber and Stoller was, there was very little market for their songs because there was only a small market for Black performers could sell their records. This fact of American musical history while known by Leiber and Stoller, had little effect on their writing.  They wanted first and foremost to write music and lyrics that would be recorded by Black artists of the times.  Even one of their greatest songs, "Hound Dog" was first recorded by Big Moma Thornton before it became a smash hit for Elvis.  In fact, they both thought that even though the success and dollars they made from the Elvis' recording of "Hound Dog" were welcomed, they both still liked the Big Moma Thornton recording much better.

The book is written in first person, alternating between Leiber and Stoller recalling their individual thoughts during each period of their lives and careers.  I was especially delighted in their later work and personal stories about one of my favorite singers "Peggy Lee".  Peggy had two of her biggest hits with Leiber and Stoller songs, " I'm A Woman" in 1962 and "Is That All There Is" in 1969.

I enjoyed the trip back to a memorable musical period this book provided. However, I thought that the constant back and forth between Leiber's view to Stoller's view made the understanding of narrative somewhat more difficult.

                 BOOK REVIEW
The Music Man Awards This Book "3 Quarter Notes"

4 Quarter Notes= Excellent, Must Read
3 Quarter Notes= Good Read
2 Quarter Notes= Somewhat Interesting
1 Quarter Note = Save Your Time and Money

Beale Street/The Soul of Memphis: "Sounds Like The Blues"

  The R & B Review


Tim Marchio is back again writing about his recent visit to Memphis and arguably the best music street in American, Beale Street.

I recently had the opportunity to go to Memphis on a business trip.  I had heard of Beale Street but did not have a real expectation of what it was.  Within walking distance from my hotel was an area one block long and lined on both sides with blues clubs highlighted by BB King's club.  Make no mistake, these were not high end expensive eateries with occasional music on the weekends.  These were authentic, old, some a bit weary from age, bars where Delta and Chicago Blues were the order of the day.  I went out on a Monday and Tuesday night to walk around and was greeted with at least five live acts each night at various places along the strip.  I was able to wander in and out of the clubs to take in a bit of each.  The feel is old and authentic.  Mr. King's club was located in an original building set up for southern hospitality, food and music.

In one club there was an older man playing harmonica from his new (self produced) CD with his much younger backing band, playing real blues as he lived it.  Next door, actually part of the same club, was a younger band playing the blues they loved, but most likely hadn't yet lived.  A interesting juxtaposition, yet both were authentic, good and musical in their own style.  I was entranced by the variety and quality of the music, because, when all is said and done, isn't that what this is all about, the music? 

On Tuesday evening I was on my way to BB King's club to see a band talked up by a waiter when I was there for lunch.  As I walked past a bar I heard some music I liked, so I sauntered in.  With 3 other patrons in this club, I saw a band (members in their twenties it seemed) play songs from Otis Redding, Clapton, Hendrix, George Thorogood and even the song "Wipeout" (by request from a slightly inebriated guy at the bar).   I thought they were quite good and loved their ability to change style so readily.   Then I went to BB Kings' where there were many more people and the band was more professional and experienced (also playing a Hendrix tune, The Stones and other blues standards).   

I have never seen a more special block for music.  Memphis has a very rich history in Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Rock.  Elvis lived here and the careers of many famous artists started in the two studios founded in Memphis; Stax, who had the likes of Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Booker T and the MG's, Wilson Pickett and more; and Sun Records had Elvis, BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison were both located very close to Beale Street.  This area provided a true fusion of Blues, Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Rock & Roll.  Sun and Stax launched the careers of so many visionary, iconic and important artists in several musical genres in such a short period of time. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this city in the history of music and it's influence in music as we hear it today.  Try to find an artist today that has not been at least partially influenced by some of the artists whose careers were launched by Sun and Stax.

I doubt it can be done. 

Interestingly, when I was being taken back to the airport to leave this great music oasis, I spoke to the cabbie and found out that he had played with the great Albert King and had written songs with and played on the recorded versions of several Al Green tunes.  I could have spoken to him for hours.  He also worked as a sound engineer at BB King's.  What a rich history.  Apparently the music doesn't leave this place, it may take a short sojourn but it always comes back home to Memphis.  This is where it all happens and where it always will.  This city, this small strip of old buildings, sings with the music of the blues and the call to those who feel its magic is so magnetic, Beale Street will remain the home of this particular form of art.