Dean Zucchero Song For The Sinners

February 19, 2025

Dean Zucchero

Song For The Sinners

Pugnacious Records

Dean Zucchero an American bassist, songwriter and producer from New York City’s East Village moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2012. His 2023 debut album “Electric Church for the Spiritually Misguided” reached #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

This new album, “Song For The Sinners”, was produced, and mixed by Jake Eckert at the Rhythm Shack Studio in New Orleans, with additional recording in Savannah, St. Louis, and Memphis. All music and lyrics were written by Zucchero. The album features a star-studded cast of guest vocalists.

The opening track “Biting Through” features Jimmy Vivino singing while playing both lead and rhythm guitar, Johnny Burgin plays 2nd rhythm guitar, while the drummer is Michael Leasure, “Well, I’m biting through tearing hard to get to you…I stand alone torn apart in a shotgun-busted home”. On “South Side” the lead is sung by Glen David Andrews, while Chris Adkins plays guitars, and Terrence Higgins, drums “There’s a meter running hot got a needle in the slot, up on the South Side…broken system here in flames, people burning in remains, up on the South Side”, with the fabulous Roadmaster’s horn section of Tom Fitzpatrick, saxophone; Satoru Ohashi, trumpet and trombone, and backing vocalist Tiffany Pollack.

On “Lullaby” the vocalist is Jerry Dugger while Bobby Rush plays harmonica; the dobro and electric guitar are played by Eckert, while the drummer is Wayne Maureau. “Cold black night, mama won’t you take my hand, cold black night, daddy don’t you play me scared, thunder in the distance, echoes in my head, cold black night, never let ’em strike me dead”.

“She’s Saturday Night” features Victor Wainwright vocal and piano, guitarist Burgin; Leasure on drums; and backing vocalists Dugger, Eckert, Wainwright and Zucchero, “My baby’s alright, she’s outta sight, she’s boomp de boom, Saturday night…No fuss, no fight, my girl that’s right”. On “Crawfish No More”, John Boutte croons “Missing the sessions of pepper salt confessions, lemon garlic bursts and succulent twists, red shells strewn in perfect commune, fiery as hell, yet we still don’t resist”, with Caleb Tokarska on guitar, and John Papa Gros on organ.

My favorite is “Shine” with the infectious lyric sung by guitarist Albert Castiglia, “Shine, shine, drink a little wine, ease up come back for more, fine, fine, elderberry wine, found myself on the floor”; Ron Hotstream plays acoustic guitar, John Papa Gros, organ; with additional backing by Pollack and Whitney Alouiscious.

“Tone Of The City” features the vocal of guitarist Mike Zito, with Bruce Sunpie Barnes on accordion, as Zito chimes “Secret alleys usher sailors to the love of tender duchesses…It’s a song for the sinners who live their lives alone”. On “Mama’s Bottle”, Sean Riley sings and plays dobro; while Waylon Thibodeaux plays fiddle; with Washboard Chaz; Tom Worell, piano;

and drummer Matthew Johnson “Sweet Mother’s milk, pours like silk, rectifies her tight-laced tilt, fat mama on the bottle, she goes full throttle, fat mama on the bottle, daddy holds so tight, well the dog don’t eat, kids can’t sleep, chaos like a symphony”.

“Never Fade Away” includes the lyric as sung by John Nemeth, who also plays harmonica “Wipe all the tears as they gather in mourning, forever ain’t long it’s another day counting the years”, with drummer Eric Bolivar. “Cold Shot” is sung by guitarist Joey Houck, with the Roadmaster’s Horn section including second trombonist Bonerama’s Mark Mullins; and drummer Doug Belote.

“Suicide For Jesus” includes the lead vocal of guitarist Ron Hotstream as he chants “Six pills, a warm bath and a razor to her wrists, in mother’s chambers she lay her sorry frame…suicide for Jesus, posture with a grin, the preachers teach the sinners, to live and die for sin”. On the closer is featured the vocal and “chicken” guitar of Little Freddie King, with some dog sounds from Lil Riccie “Tell y’ole story ’bout lost love, you broke my heart, she was my darling I was her Bo’, and now she’s just some casserole, Etouffee Casserole, I stand in woe for casserole! Folks, this is the end”.

“Song For The Sinners” delivers enticing grooves and melodies with a luminary cast of guest vocalists and instrumentalists. The original lyrics traverse a varied poetic landscape of co-habitation, patricidal nightmares, Saturday night hookups, bereavement, romance, Taoist revelations, horny alcoholic wives, and suicide. What more can you ask for ?

Richard Ludmerer

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