Jesse Scinto (pronounced Shin-toe) and Big Jay McNeely are representatives of the young turks and old guard of the tenor saxophone. On one side you have Rhythm & Blues Hall of Famer, Big Jay McNeely, the man who put the HONK in honking sax and a major player in the rise of early rock n' roll. Except for a shirt-lived retirement (1971-83) when Big Jay went to work for the U. S. Postal Service, the 77 year-old McNeely has remained active musically for a entirely new generation of music lovers.
One the "other side of the coin," you have the young turk, Jesse Scinto, a Chicago transplant originally from Fort Collins, Colorado. Scinto's pedigree includes work with Paul Oscher, Grammy Award winner Sam Lay and a performance with Rockin' Johnny Burgin for former First Lady turned U.S. Senator, Hillary Clinton to celebrate her 50th birthday. In 2002, Scinto hooked up with Big Jay McNeely, performing shows with Big Jay at the renowned Rosa's Lounge in Chicago.
In 2003, Jesse Scinto and Big Jay McNeely will release The Clutch, a new CD jam packed with honking R+B sax by both the young turk and the old guard. The Clutch features 11 original tunes written by Jesse Scinto and one ("Demonstration Honk") co-written by Scinto and Big Jay McNeely. The CD opens with "Alligator Woman" a vocal number that includes the initial honking sax solos. The saxophone barrage continues on the title track, "The Clutch," one of several instrumentals on the CD.
The remainder of The Clutch is a combination of doo-wop style, vocal R+B songs like, "I Should Have Known," "Before" and "Ted," along with more sax-laden instrumentals including "The Rush," "Muff Diver" and "White Chocolate." However, the most notable song on The Clutch is the closing number, "Demonstration Honk," a 4:09 honkfest duet featuring Big Jay McNeely and Jesse Scinto blowing their collective brains out on behalf of sax lovers everywhere.
To find out more about The Clutch and to hear samples of the upcoming CD, visit Jesse Scinto's website at www.jessescinto.com. After listening to the samples, I am sure you will agree that the CD will be well worth waiting for.
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