Back in the Fall of 1973, Asbury Park, NJ's Bruce Springsteen released "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)," an album cut on his The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle recording. The song was lauded by some music critics, a few even going as far as to say they considered it one of the best rock and roll tracks of all time.
That notwithstanding, for most listeners, that was only half the story because, over the years, "Rosalita" proceeded to take on a life of its own as a triumphant Springsteen concert staple — a song that just had to be heard performed live to fully experience it.
Fast forward to the Spring of 2016 where another Asbury Park musician, Remember Jones, has been steadily inching his way toward becoming the Jersey Shore's latest breakout musical phenom. Back in March, Jones (aka Anthony D'Amato), together with his two-dozen-piece "soul orchestra," took a large step on this journey by recording Jones' very first album live at Lakewood, NJ's very own Strand Theater.
The recording, Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones!, will be released to the public on Saturday, May 14, 2016. The kickoff to this occasion will take place at Asbury Park's Convention Hall at a live event: "The Remember Jones Soul Revue & Dance Party." Along with Jones and his orchestra, the evening will feature an additional line-up of Jersey-related talent including: Arlen Feiles, Rick Barry, the Shady Street Showband, Mad Feather Group, Brielle Von Hugel, Nik Greeley, Emily Grove, Chris Rockwell, The Barefoot Strings, the 4th Avenue Choir, and Cody McCorry.
Like his New Jersey shore musical forebear, Bruce Springsteen, Remember Jones is a sensational live performer. Those lucky enough to be present at the recording session for Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones! at The Strand can surely attest to that.
As a stage entertainer, Jones works his magic, skillfully marketing his music into a sensory experience, filling the audience not only with sound, but with dreamlike visuals, dancelike movement, and true art — art you can feel. By the end of the night at The Strand, Jones had brought the entire audience to its feet, leaving many overtly declaring their desire for a sonic souvenir that could somehow adequately capture the feeling of being at this captivating live RJ musical event.
And now that the album is complete, we've had opportunity to listen to it in an effort to re-experience the magic which came bursting out of the Jersey Shore's very own "soul sensation" that enchanted evening at The Strand.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones! opens with "Introducing Jones…," the soul orchestra's bold and brassy instrumental piece which energetically sets the table for what's to come. It is immediately followed by the first single from the album, a lively version of Daimon and Jennifer Santa Maria's upbeat scorcher, "Let 'em Look," featuring the blue-eyed soul lead vocal "call" of Remember Jones and his rock-solid rhythm section along with the countervailing echo "response" of his talented horns and backup singers.
Other highlights of Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones! include Arlan Feiles' "Everybody Steals," an Amy Winehouse-esque number in which Jones' ernest lead vocal reminds one of a soulful Hammond B3 organ in the tradition of Blood Sweat & Tears lead vocalist, David Clayton Thomas. It, like the song before it, also features the soul orchestra's six accomplished female backup vocalists— Lindsey DeSena, Bre Cade, Emily Grove, JaQuita May, Virginia Cavaliere, and Brielle Von Hugel — who sing like a choir of angels, along with the Barefoot Strings, whose accompaniment floats high above Jones' lead while Kevin Grewin's acoustic walking bass fills out the bottom.
Rick Barry's "All of Your Mistakes Have Names" is a clever and infectious high funk piece which features Jones' storytelling and a brilliant musical arrangement where the jamming band and backup singers punctuate the story with their tight stylized riffs. The Tower of Power-like horn section — Denis Daley on sax, Joe Gullace on trumpet, and Ian Gray on trombone — is superb (both on this song and on the rest of the recording) and electric bass player Billy Vegas and drummer Kevin Grossman cook. Gray's vibey trombone solo is the icing on the cake of this delectable and satisfying R-rated number.
RJ's voice is front and center on Keith and Lindsey McCarthy's ballad, "Miranda," in which Jones intones, "Tell me your story and what's behind those watery eyes/You've been waiting a long time for him." On this powerful song, RJ spills his emotional story like a seasoned performer from another era. Of particular interest here is the work of audio engineer extraordinaire Chris Everett, of Eatontown NJ's Sound Foundation Productions, who not only expertly mixed this song but the entire album. Taking two dozen musicians and creating a live recording in which each of them collectively contributes to the Phil Spector-like "wall of sound," while their performances can still be discerned and appreciated individually, is a testament to the exemplary quality of his work.
A second single from the album, the high-spirited "When I Used to Do You," is a song which — except perhaps for the naughty, yet humorous lyrics — could have conceivably been a Top 10 hit in the 1980s for George Michael and Wham. With RJ's Billy Joel-esque vocal and an uptempo arrangement, the bouncy tune — written by Andrew Clelland, Keith McCarthy, and Jones himself — makes for fun adult listening.
Lastly, our favorite cut on the album is "Bam!," co-written by Bob Burger, Idina Menzel, and long-time Jersey favorite Glen Burtnik. Its infectious groove and horn parts make this, to us, an instant smash hit. The clever tune — a funky and updated "You're So Vain" — features top-notch musicianship from the album's musical director Mark Masefield who, along with Roshane Karunaratne, provide terrific keyboard work; the crack guitar duo of Zac Silva and James McCaffrey; and tasty percussion from AJ Merlino and CJ Thouret. And, with his own performance, Jones outdoes himself and puts himself in prime consideration to take the mantle as the Jersey's Shore's own contemporary version of R&B legend Wilson Pickett, whose live versions of hits like "Land of 1000 Dances" serve as a starting point for the kind of soul music that can truly make people get up, get down, and BELIEVE.
And what about Jones?
Like Springsteen doing an iconic live version of his sound-of-the-Jersey-Shore-inspired "Rosalita," Remember Jones is a Jersey Shore performer who ought to be seen and heard live in order to fully appreciate his artistry. For those who have already experienced that magic, his new album will be a gratifying reminder of all he and his musical comrades have been able to accomplish together. But for those who have never had the pleasure of enjoying a Remember Jones live performance, this new recording ought to serve as a delightful precursor to (sooner, rather than later!) hearing these powerful words uttered live and in person: " Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones!!"
For more information on Remember Jones' new album, Ladies and Gentlemen, Remember Jones!, see Remember Jones Music. For information and tickets to the "Remember Jones Soul Review & Dance Party," Saturday, May 14, 2016, at Asbury Park, NJ's Convention Hall, please go to eventbrite.com.
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