Domenic Cicala – Duet Again
From the starting gate this effort hits with authority & Muscle Shoals/Stax horn funk muscle. Good charts on some old jewels & originals with Dominic’s duet partner Charlie Faye & the Fayettes pouring on the groove with expertise & plenty of soul. “You Mean So Much To Me Baby” would’ve been a hit in the ‘60s & will probably make a sizeable dent today…because people want to dance to a jukebox worthy tune. Call me old-fashioned but some people dance so long as their heart beats.
There are 9 unadorned slick-sounding pieces that grace Duet Again (Dropped Oct. 9/Tortured Artist Records/31:19) produced by Washington, D.C.’s Mr. Cicala (guitar/timpani) with Steve Carr. The majority span 5 decades & many have never aged. This set has all the right voices to capture the magic they originally possessed.
2nd up is a poppier mainstream track. The Farfisa organ of Question Mark & the Mysterians, Sir Douglas Quintet & all that commercial charm is embedded in. This duet’s designed with BettySoo for “Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby” — innocent & sweet. Quite good. The tunes are catchy, fired up by the significant horns that dilly-dally around each tune. Charlie Faye & her group returns with the vintage heavily seasoned “Private Number.” This isn’t a production-line product. Meticulous care taken to deliver these melodies with incisive voices.
“Sleep” features the warm Patricia Vonne tone along with the delicacy & experienced Cicala voice. Nice contrast supported by wonderful piano. Vonne & Cicala have great voices for this type of music & return on the dazzling “You’ll Never Know.” Done wonderfully as well, years ago by the late Willy DeVille with Brenda Lee! I almost feel like sitting on one of those Woolworth low stools & order malted milk with a BLT. Nostalgic? Yes. When did nostalgia become a bad word?
Lynne Hanson joins Dominic on “Breaking Apart” — nice deep saxes compliment Lynne’s gripping voice. The performance is exuberant in its soulfulness & old-school R&B blends. You can almost hear Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell singing this. It’s all done in the spirit of such artists. With a touch of the style of Mickey & Sylvia (“Love Is Strange”) & Dinah Washington & Brook Benton (who covered this) the duo of Dom & Nelly Luv tackle “A Rockin’ Good Way,” with no posturing. Impressive. Priscilla Bowman originally recorded this. “Where the Wild Roses Grow” with Jaimee Harris closes the LP. Another winner. This is where Oldies breathe with a new life.
Highlights – All, yes all.
Musicians – Jaimee Harris, BettySoo, Lynne Hanson, Patricia Vonne, Charlie Faye & the Fayettes, Michele Hannan & Nelly Luv (vocals). Blair Hogan, James Adelsberger & Gary Ferguson (guitars), Ben Holmes, Eric Selby & Bob Berberich (drums), Mark Noone & Greg Hardin (bass), Bill Starks, Arif Durrani & Tam Sullivan (keys/pianos), Sarah Larsen (violin), Chris Watling (sax), Matt Rippetoe & Nick Reider (trumpets) & Lynn Kasdorf (steel guitar).
CD @ Apple & https://domeniccicala.com/the-story
Song Premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2026/09/02/song-premiere-domenic-cicala-dark-end-of-the-street/