ENTERTAINMENT
Bay-area Sorentino, band brings blues to city
By Dorothy Corkery
Emerald Contributor
In 1(187. Danny Sorenlino
and the Sinners was named one
of the top 15 unsigned hands
from over 2.000 entries at the
New Music Seminar in New
York City.
Three years later, this Bay
area band will appear at Ku
gene's Good Times Cafe and
Bar. 575 K 7th. on Thursday.
Dec 13.
In 108‘t the hand released a
debut album on an indepen
dent label, hut has yet to sign
with .i major record company
After 12 years of playing music
in bars and clubs. Danny
Sorenlino said he believes that
a record contract "could be just
a phone call away.”
It sounds like a lot of opti
mism for a songwriter who
writes so convincingly about
the dark side of human nature.
Sin, guilt and relationships
gone bad are some of the main
themes in Sorentino's songs
He describes himself as an
Italian, raised as a Southern
Baptist. Growing up he remem
bers wanting to la- a Catholic,
like many of his friends.
‘‘Catholics only went to
church for 45 minutes every
Sunday." he said "I had to go
from 10 in the morning until 4
or 5 in the afternoon "
Sorenlino’s songvvriting tal
ents were first tapped when
Hilly C. Farlow. former front
man for Commander Cody,
hired him to write songs and
play in his hand
During this time. Farlow and
company were asked to be the
pit hand for tIn* musical stor\
of Buddy Holly's life, which
was !icing produced in Dallas.
Texas The show was backed
by Dallas business people and
by Holly's widow. Maria Klena
After the show closed. Klena
invited Farlow- and Sorentlno
to her home to see some of
Buddy Holly's memorabilia
"1 went through all of Bud
dy’s 45s.’’ Sorentino says
"These were the records he lis
tened to when he was growing
up. He had Kay Charles, jimmy
Keed and lots of Bo Did ley."
During the final show. Hol
ly's brother brought on stage
the electric Stratocaster that
survived the plane crash that
killed Holly. The guitar was
undamaged from the crash ex
cept for a small gash on its
back. Sorentino played that
guitar too.
Danny Sorentino and tin- Sin
ners' musit: is a synthesis of
guitar-based rock with blues
and country roots There's a
definite tills influent e from art
isis like the Beatles, the Rolling
Stones and Hob Dylan
Sorentino attributes the
country influence in his music
to his grandmother, a displat ed
Texan who "placed a mean
banjo
Growing up, Sorentino lis
teued to the (Ira ml l)le Dpi* ra
dio show every Saturday night
with his grandmother lie
heard hands such as Hob Wills
and the Texas Playboys and
songwriters such as Hank Wil
liams.
Other band members are bass
player Rob Kui/. Dedr it
Wilmott oil drums, and Novi
England's Herkelee School of
Music graduate Gary Reynolds
on lead guitar
Sorentino and the Sinners
will appear at hey Largo in
Portland on Wednesday. Dec
12 before heading down to Eu
gene for their Good Times per
formance. They will then head
north to open for Curtis Saiga
do and the Stilettos in Seattle
on Friday. Dec. 14
( ourtoa* p^oto
Danny Sorentino and the Sinners brings a synthesis of
guiiarbased rock with blues and country roots to Eugene on
Dec. 13.
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