Frankie Cicala Frankie Plays! CD

A nice debut outing for longtime session player Frankie Cicala, Frankie Plays is, in essence, a relatively short set of straightforward, easy listening jazz. Nothing here gets too adventurous, nothing too funky (which is a little surprising, given Cicala's previous outings with Bernie Worrell after his Mothership days). When a song opens with the percussionist running across the chimes, you know it's not going to get too exciting. Nonetheless, Cicala plays a mean guitar, fitting himself into tight melodies and lush string/synth arrangements in the background. The music is nearly all penned by Cicala (with the exception of Mason Williams' excellent "Classical Gas" from the late '60s, complete with orchestral backing), and nearly all of it has a gentle summertime feel, perhaps a result of Cicala's long association with the Jersey shore. Song after song, he strums and picks his way through some light affairs, coming out the other end with a taste of something timeless and short-lived at the same time. Not the most adventurous album by a long shot, but it still delivers a good easy listening experience. ~ Adam Greenberg

Personnel: Frankie Cicala (guitar); Alvaro Gomez, Routa Kroumovich, Sausha Phelps, Joni Roos, Shelly Mathews, Jerry Weiss (violin); Jesus Alfonzo (viola); Barbara George (cello); Tommy LaBella (alto saxophone); Steve Jankowski (flugelhorn); Kathy Gabriel (French horn); Jeff Thomas (trombone); Lamar Mitchell (Hammond b-3 organ); John Drymon (keyboards); Fred Bennett (keyboard bass); Chico Huff (bass instrument); John P. Allen, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie (drums); Bernie Dippolito, Raphael Cruz (congas).