Larry DeAngelo

Larry DeAngelo was literally born into show business. His father, after whom he was named, was lighting director for the theater, film and television, with credits including The Honeymooners, the Milton Berle Show, and Red Skelton. His work on Broadway brought the DeAngelo family into close contact with stars like Burl Ives and Ray Bolger, and his work on the Otto Preminger film The Cardinal served as the inspiration for Judith Carlson-DeAngelo’s The Pecking Order.

Larry continues to carry on this entertainment legacy as a performer, singing standards such as Night and Day and I’ve Got You Under My Skin that bring out the best from the bygone era of the American songbook.

The Al Jolson Project

  1. About a Quarter to Nine
  2. April Showers
  3. Back In Your Own Backyard
  4. California, Here I Come
  5. I’ll See You in My Dreams
  6. I’m Just Wild About Harry
  7. I’m Sitting on Top of the World
  8. Kol nidre, Traditional Hebrew Song
  9. Liza (All the Clouds’ll Roll Away)
  10. A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody

Al Jolson - April Showers
Singer Larry DeAngelo, interpreter of the Great American Songbook, embarks on his latest project: Covering the long-neglected work of the Jazz Singer, Al Jolson

NASHVILLE, TN, USA – If you occasionally find yourself humming old standards like April Showers and California, Here I Come, maybe you don’t need the latest Larry DeAngelo project.

Despite the resurgence of interest in what DJs call the Great American Songbook, one of that songbook’s greatest progenitors has been passed by. Even as pop stars have rushed to market their latest tributes to a musical era before their time, there seems to be a reluctance to touch the music of Al Jolson, arguably the most popular performer of the first half of the last century, and a new generation of listeners is missing out as a result, says the Nashville, TN-based DeAngelo.

“I think it is probably the blackface stuff that has got in the way of a proper recognition for one of the greatest singers ever,“ says DeAngelo, whose own songbook offerings have already been spotlighted in his Night and Day and Everything Happens to Me releases. “But the more I researched it the more I realized how much material of his is out there and how little it’s been covered since Jolson’s death in 1950.”

Born just over 130 years ago in what is now Lithuania, eight year-old Asa Yoelson arrived in the US in 1894. In the ensuing decades, immigrant Al Jolson helped define what it means to be an American. His starring role in 1927’s The Jazz Singer (the first full-length “talkie“) mesmerized audiences of the day and told a story that in many ways mirrored his biography: The jazz-singing blackface-donning son of a struggling Jewish cantor who strikes out on his own to find the American Dream.

“It may be easy to dismiss Al Jolson as an anachronism, but his story is a complicated one and I think it should be compelling in this time of American history, when there is so much obsessing about race and religion and ethnicity and what it means to be an American,” says Entertainment Plus Creations’ Ed Zwirn, a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, CFO Magazine and other leading publications. “More importantly, Jolson left us a treasure trove of material, and I know Larry has the pipes to pull it off.”

“We plan on launching our shoestring production this summer, when Larry will take on April Showers,“ says Zwirn. “Our plan is to release this and other Jolson songs and flesh things out as we get more musicians to lay in tracks, culminating in a blockbuster release in time for Christmas.

Musicians and industry professionals interested in participating can get in touch with Larry at epcastle1@earthlink.net.

If you want to receive updates on the Al Jolson project as they become available, contact Ed Zwirn at EZwirn@msn.com.


Recent Posts

Soweto to Harlem: The Cafe Melo Experience

Cafe Melo is bringing contemporary Black artists to the forefront this summer, starting with an exhibition of artwork inspired by the Soweto experience.

Cafe Melo

Cafe Melo

NEW YORK, NY, USA, May 19, 2023 — Soweto became an epicenter of political campaigns aimed at overthrowing the apartheid state, and in 1955 it was the location where 3,000 people came together to adopt the Freedom Charter – the basis of today’s South African Constitution.

“Soweto Home At Last,” is a touching tribute to the cultural movement that took place in Soweto. This installation features the works of contemporary artists who have been inspired by the vibrant and diverse culture of Soweto and its people.

The installation, a joint effort of the Harlem Fine Arts Show and Cafe Melo Harlem, offers visitors a unique and immersive experience, inviting them to explore the cultural landscape of Soweto and gain a deeper appreciation for its impact on South African history and identity.

The summer program will feature four impressive art installations, each offering a unique and dynamic perspective on the cultural heritage of Harlem, starting on Sunday, May 21, 2023, during NYCxDesign Festival Week, 2nd Annual Design and Cultural Harlem Sunday hosted by Richard E. Pelzer II, Founder of HarlemCLX.

“Harlem boasts a rich cultural history that deserves to be celebrated and honored, and art in all its encompassing forms provides the perfect avenue to do so,” said Dwight A. Smith, owner of Cafe Melo Harlem. “We are thrilled to fully embrace this opportunity to contribute to the neighborhood’s vast cultural landscape.”

 Sharing Cafe Melo’s Lenox avenue space is Dr. Green, Smith’s other venture, a cannabis-product dispensary which offers members a safe, welcoming and inclusive space in which they can celebrate Nature’s bounty. “We believe that art and cannabis make the perfect pairing,” says Smith.

 The art installations will be available for viewing during Cafe Melo Harlem’s regular business hours. Visit the Harlem Fine Arts Show, hfas.org or Cafe Melo Harlem, cafemelo-harlem.com.

About Cafe Melo Harlem

 Located on Lenox Avenue, not far from cultural destinations like the Apollo Theater and a literal stone’s throw away  from eateries like Sylvia’s and Red Rooster, Cafe Melo is rapidly becoming an iconic stop on any Harlem tour and a welcoming and rich event venue. Perfect for birthday celebrations, intimate wedding receptions, meetings, and more.

 About Dr. Green

At Dr. Green, we are committed to providing our members with a safe, comfortable, and inclusive space where they can be themselves and enjoy the benefits of cannabis and art. We believe that our club is more than just a dispensary – it is a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for creativity, relaxation, and self-discovery. Join us today and experience the best of what Harlem has to offer.

 For more information contact:

 Dwight A. Smith

(646) 682–9093

Dwight_a_smith@yahoo.com

 

 

 

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