Exactly one year ago today (July 24, 2008) I got the opportunity to interview SAMMO a singer, songwriter from New York who at the time was touring and reworking his new cd “Vagabondage”… To give you a bit of background, let’s revisit the introduction to the riddle that is SAMMO.
“He dresses loud and sings even louder. His voice is an emotional rollercoaster. He is SAMMO, a.k.a S.A.M., a.k.a Sam Mastandrea and he strives to marry Little Richard’s unmitigated primal joy with the perennial heartbreak of Hank Williams’ falsetto. As a musician /poet/comedian who lives to entertain people, when it comes to getting an audience off, he subscribes to the Malcolm X School of Entertainment by Any Means Necessary. One fan described him as “like a one-man Led Zeppelin but without the Dungeons & Dragons lyrics and instead of touring in a private jet, Jimmy Page drives a little yellow bus and parks in the handicapped spaces.” At the end of the day, SAMMO is a true Renaissance man, with a warped but engaging stage presence, a Byron-esque turn of a lyric, and a voice that is charismatic.”
The last 12 months may not have changed the perception of SAMMO, but it has changed “Vagabondage” as this official release, while still rooted in the original cd, serves up 11 tracks that demonstrate that SAMMO had more to say, more to add, and more to cultivate. The result? A refreshed version if you will, and a cd that happily defies any pigeon-holing. Is it Americana? Rock? Torch Songs? Blues? One never knows because just when you think you have nailed the m.o. of SAMMO he switches up on you and you find a different sound, sometimes genre in the very next track. Perhaps the best way to describe it is ear art… up for interpretation and certainly an outpouring from someone with a very different point of view.
In short there are singers, there are singer songwriters, and then there are troubadours...
“Vagabondage” proves that there are still lyricists producing art that is a mix of song, soul and salvation.
4.5 Stars
