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Rob Parissi
Label: Count Funkenstein
May, 2010

Wild Cherry founder (and good Boomerocity friend), Rob Parissi, has some great new music out for your listening pleasure. While you won’t hear the son, or even the grandson, of Play That Funky Music, your ears will be pleasantly massaged with the soothing sounds of Parissi’s mastering of the Adult Contemporary/Smooth Jazz genre.

And, when I say “mastering”, I don’t just mean a total grasp of the fundamentals. I also mean that Rob has the necessary musicianship mastered, as well. This becomes self-evident when you realize that he played every instrument as well as produced, engineered and mastered every track for every song on this new collection.

First on the list but just recently added to the collection is Nuckin Futz. Like e-mail forwards that I get from certain friends, I was almost afraid to listen to this one. You would just have to know Rob. But, never fear! The song is kind to the ear! If I could dance – and if I could dance to jazz – this would be THE song I would want to dance. However, since I can’t dance, I’m relegated to shaking my legs in the most un-rhythmic of ways while listening to this treat to the ears. The rest of you will dance your hearts out to this great tune.

Next are the pleasant, positive sounds of Wake Up Sunshine. I haven’t tried this yet but I would venture a guess that if you start your first few minutes of a new day with this song playing, your attitude will be great the rest of the day. Try it and tell me if I’m wrong.

And, if I am wrong, well, then, you can chill out to Martini Time. Since I don’t drink, this will be the closest thing to Happy Hour I will come. However, if songs were drinks, I would have to tell the bartender to keep ‘em pourin’!

Down A1A reminds me of the great George Benson hit, Broadway as well as part of the melodic line from Billy Joel’s Scandinavian Skies. Soothing, relaxing, exciting, all rolled up into one great song. This is a song that you would want to play while enjoying a relaxing drive in a convertible surrounded by incredible scenery. I haven’t tried it, yet, but plan to the first chance I get.

In a similar vein is Hansom Cab. In fact, you will want to put Down A1A and Hansom Cab on a separate playlist on your iPod and hit repeat as you head on down the highway.

The only song in this collection with vocals is a great love song entitled Ground Zero. This is one of my two favorite cuts from the collection. When I asked Rob about this tune, he said, “It's just a generic analysis of what happens when someone finds a loving, two-way street relationship. Ground Zero is the point of ‘neutral. OOO, so heavy, man!!”

A romantic instrumental follow-up to Ground Zero is On A Midnight Full Moon. If I could dance, I would love to dance with my lovely first (and only) wife as this beautiful song plays.

The last cut on the album is Biatch Blank ET (no, I didn’t type it wrong) and is my other favorite tune on this collection. This is what Eric Clapton would sound like if he played jazz. Rob burns this tune up with incredible fret work. To say that I have this song set on “repeat” doesn’t tell the half of it. This is a great song!

If love adult contemporary or smooth jazz, you’ll want to add these tunes from this musical icon to your listening library.

The songs can be heard by clicking here. Or, after the CD is available, you can download the songs for purchase by clicking on the icons on this page (they will be posted upon availability).