Vinnie Zummo "Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America Vol 1 & 2"

New York City musician Vinnie Zummo is a top session player who spent years with Joe Jackson and other major artists. Armed with skills as a guitarist, producer, arranger, etc. it was easy for him to enter the studio and create whatever sound he wanted. Zummo is a musical chameleon that can emulate all his musical heroes. On his latest SGSOYA Vol.2 he opens with a Beach Boys styled prayer, and jumps into “Homicidal” a Lennonesque ditty similar to “Instant Karma” and then his wife Janice sings lead vocals on the Patsy Cline like “Don’t Wait Too Long.” You also get jazz, polka, pyschedelic, and other genres, as Zummo’s whole raison d’etre (as he sings in “I Love Conjunto”) is “it all sounds good to me.” More favorites on Vol.2 are “Special Thing” (it could’ve fallen off The Beach Boys’ Sunflower) and the nostalgic tribute “John Lennon.”

On Volume 1, Beatlesque highlights include “Fab Gear” and “Ringo.” But I also enjoyed the Satriani-like guitar licks on “Retro Fuso” and the Claptonesque “Take The Cream.” Zummo jumps around the musical spectrum like it’s his own personal top 40 mix tape. Each album is bursting with 20 tracks and it’s a great example of his versatility and songwriting skills.

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