Chitlins Parmigiana

The title Chitlins Parmigiana is a humorous acknowledgment of the fact that the Vivino Brothers (Jimmy Vivino on guitar, piano, organ, and lead vocals; Jerry Vivino on sax) are Italian-Americans who specialize in music created by African-Americans: urban blues as well as jazz (mostly jazz-funk along with a straight-ahead tune), soul, and funk. You won't hear the Vivino Brothers playing "O Sole Mio," "Come Back to Sorrento," or any other famous Italian songs on this CD; their turf is music that has some connection to the blues. Most of the tunes were written by the Vivino Brothers themselves, including the moody blues/soul number "Soul Revival" and soul-jazz and jazz-funk instrumentals such as "Peanut Boss," "Cornell Knowledge," and "Capetown Fear." Meanwhile, "Jerry Boy Blues" is a dusky post-bop instrumental that features Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax and finds him quoting Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments." Chitlins Parmigiana (which employs Al Kooper on organ) isn't a five-star masterpiece, but it's an enjoyable effort that illustrates the Vivino siblings' diversity. ~ Alex Henderson