Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Vinnie Zummo: Jazz and Pop Tale Daze

Vinnie Zummo: Jazz and Pop Tale Daze

By Mark Sullivan
October 13, 2023
View read count

Vinnie Zummo

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Vinnie Zummo is best known for his guitar playing with singer & songwriter

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Jackson. He appeared on every Jackson album from Body and Soul (A&M, 1984), through Blaze of Glory (A&M, 1989), returning for The Duke (Razor & Tie Recordings, 2012). He also has a long history of mostly one-man-band recordings on his own Vaz Music label, on which he plays guitar, drums, bass, keyboards, and chromatic harmonica (as well as vocals) at a high level. His long experience of playing all the parts results in tracks which truly sound like a band. He says he approached this album with little pre-planning, preferring to improvise.

"Power" opens the set with brassy funk, featuring a brash organ part, tight drums and plenty of burning lead guitar. Nothing about the performance sounds loose or unplanned, including the chromatic harmonica solo (which might be unexpected elsewhere, but it has become a Zummo trademark). "Pocket Bop" has a bossa nova feel—another Zummo perennial—and benefits from acoustic bass playing by guest

David Katzenberg

" data-original-title="" title="">David Katzenberg. "Hair Scro" immediately calls

Steely Dan

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">Steely Dan to mind: smooth, tuneful jazzy pop. Zummo has the kind of guitar chops heard on Steely Dan records as well. "Prosody" goes into the ethnic side of

Weather Report

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Weather Report, with the harmonica making an especially effective appearance and adding to the lilting groove.

"Jazz and Cocktail Days" is a vocal feature for Vinnie and his wife

Janice Zummo

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Janice Zummo. It declares that "New York City is a very different world," but there is also plenty of space for guitar and organ solos. "Bassford Manor" is a reggae tune, demonstrating Zummo's versatility and love of different grooves. "Always Mean To Me Blues" gives off a strong Delta blues vibe, with acoustic guitar, LP noise, and lead vocals from Big Belly Lightcap (whoever that is). The closing track "Ballade Pour Jeff Beck" is a splendid homage to the great guitarist, including evocative whammy bar work. A lovely ending to a diverse collection of music. It features Zummo's virtuosic guitar playing but is also a showcase for his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and arranger.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Power; Pocket Bop; Hair Scro; Prosody; JB Fonkee; My Stuff; Jazz and Cocktail Days; Bassford Manor; Mask; Vaz/Mat; Always Mean To Me Blues; Ballade Pour Jeff Beck.

Personnel

Vinnie Zummo

guitar

Additional Instrumentation

Vinnie Zummo, all instruments (guitar, chromatic harmonica, keyboards, bass, drums); David Katzenberg, acoustic bass; John Rogers, drums; Janice Zummo, Big Belly Lightcap: vocals; Matty Amendola, drums; Erik Deinstadt, Jeff Allegue, Scott Wills: backup vocals.

Album information

Title: Jazz and Pop Tale Daze | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Vaz Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

John Scofield Band, Michael Manring,...
< Previous

Finders Keepers
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.