Short Reviews [Paul D'Adamo - 2019 - "Rawfully Organic"]

Apparently, this is the third album from D’Adamo, but it is the first time I have come across him. Paul started formal lessons when he was just six years old, passion for singing, performing, and playing piano continued through his college years where he studied with some of the finest teachers at the Indiana University School of Music, The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music. He also began teaching students, as well as studying privately to further his art and hone his craft. In 2002, Paul opened The D'Adamo School of Performing Arts, where he still teaches private voice, piano, music theory and songwriting lessons in his Las Colinas studio or at his students' homes in the Greater DFW area. He has brought in a selection of musicians to assist him on this release, including Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, Alphonso Johnson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Lee Curreri, Grant Geissman, Trey Gunn, Billy Sherwood, The California Guitar Trio, Chris Remediani, Canyon Kafer, Fuzzbee Morse, Nichelle Monroe, Connie Jackson, Lynne Fiddmont, Amy Keys and Fred White. The ten songs comprise just four original numbers, alongside one each by Genesis and Michael MacDonald and four by Peter Gabriel. When I looked at the tracklisting I really wasn’t quite sure to expect, as I have never been a fan of bands who attempt to provide note for note replications of others material, but there was no worry of that here. D’Adamo has one of the most luscious, velvety, beautiful voices I have ever come across. He has a tremendous range, but normally contains himself to the baritone, but it is all so effortless and timeless. For the most part we are in the world of soft jazz, and “Lovin’ Me Back To Life” has to be at least forty years out of time as the polish and harmonies, along with some stunning bass and horns makes one think of the major pop hits of the mid Seventies. Right from the huge harmonies which opens the album on “Games Without Frontiers”, I knew this was going to be something special, and the muted trumpet just takes it to a whole new level. Although fans of the aforementioned bands are of course going to be interested in discovering more, this is an album which will be appreciated by all fans of great music as the arrangements and vocal performances are simply superb, all backed up by wonderful musicianship.