Al Basile has long been creating great songs for others, now he unleashes his talent with Groovin' in the Mood Room.

Al Basile - Groovin' in the Mood Room with Duke Robillard 

Al Basile - Groovin' in the Mood Room with Duke Robillard: Got to be the Boss; How Much Better (Better Can Get); She's on the Mainline; Picked to Click; Your Turn to Pay; Baby Sister; I'm in a Mood' The show Must go On; Your Rights; Take My Word For It; Be A Woman; Coffee and Cadillacs; You Satisfy

Personnel: Al Basile: vocals, cornet on She's on the Mainline; Duke Robillard: guitars, piano solo on Your Rights, backup vocal on You Satisfy; Marty Ballou: electric basses; Mark Teixeira: drums, tambourine; Bruce Bears: organ on Baby Sister and Be a Woman; Doug James: tenor saxophone on She's on the Mainline

Groovin' in the Mood Room with Duke Robillard was released by Sweetspot Records. Al Basile grew up with an eye and ear for music, he was not genre specific, he was more sound and melody conscious, which shows in his recording of Groovin' in the Mood Room.  One of his early teachers had him learning a melody a week to sharpen his appreciation and music skills, his grandfather and grandmother were from Italy and were prone to playing Caruso 78's, a neighbor provided Al tickets to the Boston Symphony and his introduction to classical music, which he absorbed like a sponge, all of this melded in with the influential sounds of the late 50's (Elvis, Patty Page and Les Paul), and you have an understanding of the inner creative nature of Al Basile's music. Taking up the trumpet he progressed through many stages and acquired the position of first trumpet, but it seemed he was just a bit short of obtaining the soloist position, so a bit frustrated he channeled his creative nature into acting, writing poetry and fiction while working on his vocal prowess and patterned his phrasing after Frank Sinatra. Therefore, who is Al Basile? He is a melting pot of music, with a passion for a strong melody, a love of phrasing, and the perseverance to construct a release that captures him as a singer/songwriter.

With Groovin' in the Mood Room, you have a release that projects Al Basile's energy and his many influences. You can hear some Frank Sinatra phrasing, a bit of Elvis's pacing and energy, a few Les Paul licks, but considering how acute an ear for music Al has, I do not see this as copying other performer's styles; Al knows what works with respect to a melody and vocals.

Groovin' in the Mood Room starts off with the bluesy track Got to be the Boss, which features Al's deep throaty vocals. Got to be the Boss sums up this release as Al has taken the reins and is leading a great group of musicians through his musical vision. Though the lyrics in Got to be the Boss say, "I might make a mistake, I might end up without a dime, but that mistake is mine to make", these are only words as this release is a winner all the way. Track two is the rousing How Much Better (Better Can Get), which unleashes Duke Robillard's guitar to complement Al's fast paced vocals. Al slows it down a bit with the sultry She's on the Mainline, featuring Doug James on tenor saxophone. The track Picked to Click switches blues and R&B gears with deep rolling riffs off Duke's guitar that sing in tandem with Al's vocals. Your Turn to Pay reminds us how much we should appreciate what we have as this passionate song tells the tale of losing someone special. Maybe you should search out your significant other so you can cuddle up, enjoy, and appreciate him or her now. Music lovers will find a special place in their heart after listening to Groovin' in the Mood Room, as Al's groove will conjure up thoughts of a special moment, and have you recalling special memories.

Al Basile did not just emerge on the music scene, though many who are not familiar with his previous collaborations may see it this way, Al has just decided to be the ‘Boss' and showcase his extensive talents. Groovin' in the Mood Room is a classic cross-genre blues, R&B, and rock release worthy of every accolade it should and will receive. 

A few websites where you can procure Groovin' in the Mood Room are Artist Direct, CD Universe, CD Baby, Amazon, Yahoo, and BestPrices.com.  

© October 2006. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.