Jerry Falzone: Press

We received an impressive new CD from local artist Jerry Falzone entitled Off The North Coast. While this is his official debut, Falzone has worked with various artists through the years including Pearl (who earned a Top Album Pick from Billboard Magazine), Mason Tyler and Debbie Randyn. Filled with the sweet sounds of mostly acoustic Americana, highlight tracks like "Open Your Eyes" and "Coming Home to You" remind of a cross between The Byrds, Tom Petty and CSNY, while the CD's imagery of water (specifically Lake Ontario) lends itself to a serene quality throughout. The moving track, "Dance With Me," is dedicated to WCMF's late DJ, Unkle Roger McCall, a friend of Falzone's (an eerie time to hear this as the anniversary of McCall's death recently passed) while "Can You Feel Me Now" features some smokin' electric guitar work that finishes off the tune in rocking fashion. Falzone will be celebrating the release of this accomplished effort with a show at Coffee Cabana in Spencerport on Friday, December 29th (8-10pm) and see jerryfalzone.com for more about the artist

Also at the HOG, Rochester artist Jerry Falzone will perform an in-store concert and a release party for his new CD, Off The North Coast, on Saturday, February 10th (4pm). Word is that Falzone has been picked up by two Belgium radio stations' "Americana Music" shows.

Jerry Falzone: "Off The North Coast"
SGR Records

Jerry Falzone's Off The North Coast plays soft and easy with the kind of folky depth that keeps the songs' importance intact. Falzone doesn't use his well-crafted tunes as excuses to show off his musicianship, but rather allows the songs to speak for themselves. Even though he fleshes out all 12 tracks with a good-sized band and Sam Gruttadauria's lush production, everyone involved hangs back nicely. Traces of The Beatles and Gordon Lightfoot swirl here and there. Give Off The North Coast a listen; it'll make it all better.

Jerry Falzone is back at it again.

A pearl awaits discovery

Jeff Spevak
Staff music critic


(December 28, 2006) — The rewards can be so hard to come by for musicians that when someone throws them a bone, it feels like a meal. Pearl, a Rochester rock band of the late 1970s and early '80s, got a taste when Billboard magazine put its self-titled, independently released debut album on its best-of-the-year list.

Finally! After nine years of touring, a little recognition.

But not a big enough bone to go around. Shortly afterward, in 1982, Pearl came home after nine years on the road, took a break and never went back.

"I think the same thing happened to us that happens to a lot of people," says Jerry Falzone, Pearl's bass player. "There was a frustration within the band of being on the road without seeing the benefit of it."

So Falzone — who actually did like the life on the road, and moments like Cheap Trick showing up at a Pearl gig to jam — pursued normalcy with a marketing company.

The fact that normalcy also included a broken marriage and raising a daughter has figured into Falzone's first album, Off the North Coast, which he celebrates with a release party at 8 p.m. Friday at Coffee Cabana, 123 S. Union St., Spencerport.

He always loved the guitar-driven, harmony-laden '70s rock bands, which suggests why Off the North Coast sometimes sounds like Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young & Falzone.

"I'm a pretty outgoing person, but a lot of that CD was written at the point of getting over a few things," he says. There's a lot of water under the Greece resident's bridge, starting with the title track: sailing on Lake Ontario, following the sun and the stars. The ominous "Hell and High Water" was influenced by the breakup of his marriage and, "where you go through these really heavy things when you're raising a daughter, and you're a man." "Fallen" comes from a drive he took up the California coastal highway six years ago, as he confirmed to himself that he wanted to re-marry: a woman he'd met only weeks earlier.

He did indeed marry Kathy. His daughter is 18 and in college. Three of his old Pearl bandmates — Debbie Randyn, Ray Bellizia and Carl Lang — are even on the album. It all worked out. Except maybe the timing of Pearl's breakup.

"I found out later that A&M wanted to sign us," Falzone says. "But they couldn't find us."

For more, go to www.jerryfalzone.com.

Jeff Spevak - Democrat and Chronicle (Dec 28, 2006)

JERRY FALZONE
OFF THE NORTH COAST
(Silver Ghost) www.jerryfalzone.com

Although this is Jerry Falzone's solo debut, he's no stranger to the music biz. Falzone tasted success as bass player for late 70's/early 80's upstate New York rock band Pearl, and even called on a few of his old bandmates to help flesh out Off The North Coast. Inside these twelve tracks Falzone focuses on his love for vocal harmonies and acoustic Americana that recalls radio friendly hits from CSNY. Falzone's songwriting shows incredible structure, and all the players are very skilled; the flaw is predictable lyrical content with no mystery. At his best, Falzone mixes his folky guitar with a thicker, dark electric tone such as on "Hell and High Water", at his worst we find him singing the idealistic "Island", which could be a B side for Jimmy Buffet. The album proves to be smooth, easy listening suitable for Sunday afternoons but shouldn't be dissected for deeper meaning.
Aaron Kayce

Celebrate Recovery Coffee House, November 9, 2007.



It was a songwriter showcase Friday November 9th as Lakeshore's Jerry Falzone and Pastor Frank Deluccio hosted guests Warren Paul and Jeff Orr for an engaging evening of originals and favorites. Not exactly "in the round", more of a straight line, the diverse foursome took turns singing and storytelling. The Coffee House crowd loved every minute of it (and the snacks weren't bad, either).



Jerry played cuts from his CD "Off The North Coast" and debuted a song based on Psalm 36, that should soon be heard at a Lakeshore service. Jerry's songs are introduced with humorous anecdotes about his inspirations and the songwriting process.



Frank Deluccio, with a disclaimer that he is not necessarily a songwriter offered up classics like Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and the Beatles' "We Can Work It Out".



Warren Paul opened with a song about the home he shares with his wife on "Pokey Moonshine Road", down Springwater way. Warren's compositions run the gamut from heartwarming to bitter sweet to downright laugh-til-you cry. "Grandpa's Pride" was a gift from Warren for his dad's 65th birthday. "Mr. Know-It All" is a guy we're all familiar with and he's apparently visited Warren's a house a time or two. We all loved Warren's latest tune " Everyone Wants to Be Loved" and he better record this one!



Hinting that songwriting "hasn't been all that lucrative" Warren shared his jingle-writing experiment "The Road Kill Barbecue Cafe". The audience eagerly helped out on the chorus "The longer they sit the more tender they git".The next time you're in Springwater, and your stomach starts making noises...



Jeff Orr, who plays guitar and keyboard, has a background as a worship leader and his songs are about struggles we can all relate to like the "Mask" we sometimes hide behind. Yes, we have all questioned our faith and sometimes wondered why God was being so quiet. Or maybe we just aren't listening? Jeff shared soul-searching advice; "Say Goodbye to Yesterday". Just let it go and don't let old history run your life. He also performed the title track from his CD "Hanging By a Thread".



The guys closed out the night with an instrumental jam on Jerry's composition "Cava" which occasionally opens Lakeshore services.



The next Celebrate Recovery Coffee House will be in January and we hope you join us. Find out more about Celebrate Recovery at the main Lakeshore Community Church site.

What can we say that has not already been said? Jerry Falzone is one of the best guitarists and wordsmiths you're likely to find anywhere.

Mansfield, PA