About Frank James
A lifelong New Yorker, Frank James has always been influenced by the eclectic mixture of music and art that one experiences living in the greatest city on the planet. It is by no coincidence that the first record Frank ever purchased as a youth was the Elvis Presley classic “All Shook Up” and it is has been reported that he would play it over and over until the needle on the record player finally wore it out. This was just the beginning of a lifelong admiration of the pioneers of “Rock and Roll” such as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley and the many subsequent styles and sounds of music that they influenced over the last fifty years.
Frank James presently performs his Elvis Tribute show on stage in front of live audiences and on occasion, has performed for the television cameras of CTV. In addition to Elvis, Frank enjoys performing the many hits of such notable artists as Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Bobby Darin and Tom Jones, to name a few. When Frank James is not performing the hits of Elvis and his rock “n” roll counterparts, he enjoys singing the timeless classics of the American Songbook made famous by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin.
Whether a small intimate gathering or a large stage production, Frank James has always enjoyed the gratification of performing for a live audience regardless of the size.
A lifelong New Yorker, Frank James has always been influenced by the eclectic mixture of music and art that one experiences living in the greatest city on the planet. It is by no coincidence that the first record Frank ever purchased as a youth was the Elvis Presley classic “All Shook Up” and it is has been reported that he would play it over and over until the needle on the record player finally wore it out. This was just the beginning of a lifelong admiration of the pioneers of “Rock and Roll” such as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley and the many subsequent styles and sounds of music that they influenced over the last fifty years.
Frank James presently performs his Elvis Tribute show on stage in front of live audiences and on occasion, has performed for the television cameras of CTV. In addition to Elvis, Frank enjoys performing the many hits of such notable artists as Roy Orbison, Billy Joel, Bobby Darin and Tom Jones, to name a few. When Frank James is not performing the hits of Elvis and his rock “n” roll counterparts, he enjoys singing the timeless classics of the American Songbook made famous by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin.
Whether a small intimate gathering or a large stage production, Frank James has always enjoyed the gratification of performing for a live audience regardless of the size.
Bands
Spotlight
Keyboard:
Mark Garni has been playing professionally for over 25 years. He has appeared with many famous groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe and the Drifters and Spotlight.
Drums:
Sal Albanese has been performing in the New York City area for 25 years. He has appeared on local radio and TV shows. Sal has also performed with many groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe, The Quotations, and The Royal Teens and Spotlight.
Lead Guitar:
Joe Lucenti has been a well known NYC musician for many years. He has appeared on Broadway as well as radio and TV. Joe has performed with many famous groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe and Reparata and the Del Rons and Spotlight.
Bass Guitar:
Mike Catalano plays bass and lead guitar from South beach SI performed with the 69 Merger ,Witness and Vito Picone and the Elegants resides in Manalapan NJ.
Mark Garni has been playing professionally for over 25 years. He has appeared with many famous groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe and the Drifters and Spotlight.
Drums:
Sal Albanese has been performing in the New York City area for 25 years. He has appeared on local radio and TV shows. Sal has also performed with many groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe, The Quotations, and The Royal Teens and Spotlight.
Lead Guitar:
Joe Lucenti has been a well known NYC musician for many years. He has appeared on Broadway as well as radio and TV. Joe has performed with many famous groups including Vito and the Elegants, Johnny & Joe and Reparata and the Del Rons and Spotlight.
Bass Guitar:
Mike Catalano plays bass and lead guitar from South beach SI performed with the 69 Merger ,Witness and Vito Picone and the Elegants resides in Manalapan NJ.
Bill Turner and Blue Smoke
With a longevity rivaled by few, Bill Turner & Blue Smoke grew from being a NY/NJ club band, to one of the busiest and in-demand musical attractions in the northeast. Led by Bill Turner, who performed all over the world while playing lead guitar for Bill Haley & His Comets in the 1970s, the Blue Smoke band has continued in that tradition, but expanding its musical reach far beyond only one genre or specialty. The band presently has worked over 9,200 personal appearances in clubs, concerts and corporate events, and recently appeared in concert backing up Jim Belushi at a syndication party hosted by the Disney Network in NYC. MTV discovered Bill Turner & Blue Smoke at a convention in Wildwood NJ and quickly hired them to record the soundtrack to the four commercials which were used to launch its new "M-2 Satellite Network". Since 2003, Bill Turner has appeared regularly on live radio, with the WDVR "Heartlands Hayride", heard weekly over WDVR throughout the Delaware valley as well as the on worldwide web.
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Instrumentation
Bill Turner: Lead Guitar & Fiddle; vocals Eric Knutsen: 5 String Bass & vocals Ray Torelli: Drums & vocals Phil Stevens: Keyboard & vocals John Kurdilla: Tenor Sax & all woodwinds Joe Camusci: Pedal Steel Guitar Discography CDs: "Mississippi Maserati Breakdown" (Mansion Records) "Lost In Carolina" w/Tim Kross (Krosshair Records) CD single: "Big J Is Coming Home-USS New Jersey" w/Jim Murphy. TV Commercials: "M-2 Satellite Network" 30 second spots for MTV Movies/Films: "The Crusaders" (Indie) |
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