Celebrating this Father's Day with a father-and-son musical bonanza, Frank Gallo, of Brooklyn's award-winning titans of kindie music, Rolie Polie Guacamole, and his dad, veteran children's musician Lou Gallo of Lou Gallo & The Very Hungry Band, have teamed with GRAMMY-winning producer/performer Dean Jones of Dog on Fleas to create a bona fide kindie super-group: Like Father Like Son. Mix in splendid contributions from GRAMMY nominee Brady Rymer and Katie Ha Ha Ha, and you have Sun is a Star, a stellar album for families that's set for release on June 8, 2018.
Frank Gallo explains, "My dad and I are a father-and-son team who have each had a lot of experience in kindie music. In fact, Sun is a Staris the 7th family album for both of us. Adding Dean Jones to the mix actually bridges the generations. In our band, Like Father Like Son, we have Baby Boomer Lou Gallo,
Generation X-er Dean Jones, and
Millennial Frank Gallo!"
After years of talking about the possibility of working together on an album, in 2017 Frank persuaded his dad, Lou Gallo, that the time was right, proposing that each of them contribute five or six songs.
Together they decided to take Dean Jones up on his invitation to record at Dean's storied No Parking Studio in Rosendale, NY. Having worked with Dean quite a bit through the years, Frank knew this was an offer he could not refuse, for Dean's production artistry came with the added bonus of his superb performing skills (bass, drums, marimba, guitar, trombone, vocals). Indeed, all indications were that the stars were in the right confluence for a solid record.
As one would expect, Sun is a Star includes several tracks that feature songs with a father-and-son theme. Some are of a general nature ("Like My Dad," "Like Father Like Son") while others explore the Gallo family musical scrapbook, like "She's a Dog," which was father Lou's very first collaboration with two-year-old Frank. Lou wrote "Tennis Racket Song" when he was right out of high school. As one of the earliest of Lou's songs that Frank remembers hearing, he encouraged his dad to include it in the Sun is a Star lineup.
Sun is a Star kicks off with the irrepressible, rhythmic energy of the album's title track and moves right into "Halloween Night," featuring a spooky use of the theremin throughout the song. The calypso-style "Day-O," always popular at Rolie Polie Guacamole sing-alongs, is perfect for kids-and-family line dancing. The whimsical dance number "Shake Shake Shake" contrasts hilariously with the ultra-frenetic "Shake Your Shaker."
Other highlights include the action song, "Sharks and Dinosaurs," with its ear-catching percussion sounds, and a splendid cover of "Handle with Care," written by George
Harrison for the legendary Traveling Wilburys, in which Frank Gallo faithfully recreates Harrison's signature solo guitar style.
Sun is a Star will be available at CDBaby, iTunes, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Amazon. Pre-orders may be placed now.
