Find most of my recent songs here
"Safe Passage" from the short film by Chris Casaburi is available on most platforms or buy here.
Front Page Journal News (Gannett) article
CD Credits
Unless otherwise noted:
Tony Mercadante, Bass
Andrew Caturano, Drums
CC, Guitars, Vocals
Recording by J.C. Santalis at his Raw Recording bunker in Mahopac, NY.
1. "Transistor Radio" - Inspired by my first radio (as 10 year old, a birthday present) my Emerson 888. When I took possession of my Taylor 813, this melody sprung forth.
2. "Broken On The Wheel" - I had the guitar riff for decades and always wanted to write a song for Van Morrison. So why not a lyric about medieval torture as a metaphor for despondent love? Benny Harrison on B3 organ.
3. "Route 22" - Living in LA made me homesick for NY. This road brought me everywhere...to summer camp as a kid, to the mountains for skiing, to the autumn color change, to Lake George as a kid. Benny Harrison on Jerry Lee Lewis piano.
4. "American Tragedy" - Inspired by my college love, Claudia Martin, who struggled with addiction and was murdered by drug fiends in Hollywood in 2007. An amalgam of many people and experiences. Gordon Gebert on keys.
5. "All The Tea in China" - A hypebolic love long
6. "You of All People" - Tim Ouimette on trumpet
7. "Up All Night" - Performed live at the memorial to the friend we lost too soon, Joey Val,who I knew, loved and performed with through high school, college and beyond. I co-wrote my first song with Joey, "It's Too Late." I wrote this for the memorial concert in October 2006. Recorded by Jim Nowak.
These three songs are from my one man, one act musical "The Cakeman Chronicles":
8. "One More Day (from my youth)" - The overture...my yard, my tree, my town and how I wish I could return.
9. "Cake for the Band" - In the 1970's I would finagle my way into our town's rock palace, Port Chester's Capitol Theater, with sheet cakes from my family bakery whose icing always welcomed the headliner.The royal scam - I perpetrated it flawlessly for 2 years, meeting and hanging with all my favorite musical stars. Recorded with the Grayson Wray Project at his LA studio in January 2008.
10. "Goodbye (Grandma's Lament)" - The denouement sung from my Grandmother's point of view, kneeling over her murdered husband, my Grandfather, J. J. Cassone in 1923. Rob Sabino, keys, arrangement
11. "I'll Love You Always" - A romantic fable
12. "Memorial Day" - In 2007 I returned to Port Chester in May to attend the Memorial Day parade, hoping to recapture some scenes of my childhood. You see, the parade passed right by my front door at 408 Westchester Avenue, so all my life I had a front row seat. Gone were the crowds. Gone was the patriotic enthusiasm. Gone was the town-wide remembering of the sacrifices of the soldiers. Don't miss the video because the significance is overwhelming. After finishing the recording I told my girlfriend, Melanie Chilek, that I would love to make a video of the song with old film footage of the parades. She pulled out 8mm transfers that her dad and mom took in 1955 and 1968...directly across the street from my home! The cover picture of the CD is taken that afternoon on Memorial Day 1955. That's my dad's '53 Chrysler and little Christy trying to salute. Don't ya love the socks?!
13. "Take Our Country Back" - Written the weekend of March 12, 2009 in response to Glenn Beck's inauguration of the 9-12 Project. I joined a Meetup group and found the first tea party planned in my area, at Ridgefield, CT. A citizen You-Tuber put it up and that went mildly viral. From that I was invited on Fox, to State capitols, and I got to perform it on the West Steps of the US Capitol on 9/12/09 to 1.7 million.
Some recording Credits back to 1980
