Some music veterans are still the biggest names of today, as they were yesterday, others, are slowly fading into memory. Still, there is a third category of veterans, that were something of a cult figures, quietly making a name among the artists themselves, critics, and a staunch cult following.
Well, Pat Guadagno can somehow fit into all of these three categories. Guadagno has been in music for quite a bit of time, decades are in question, and he has become something of a folk music legend.
Guadagno made a name as one of the most accomplished interpreters, becoming known for his theatrical tributes to Van Morrison, Tom Waits, Hank Williams, John Prine, and Bob Dylan.
At the same time, his music is featured in Showtime’s award-winning Californication and films like Warrior Road, Rock, and a Heart Place, and won ‘Song of the Year’ at the 2022 Garden State Film Festival. The musical director on METV’s Big Variety Show has released six albums wherein he collaborated with jazz legend John Tropea and Grammy award winner Keb Mo’.
On his latest album, simply titled 1964, Guadagno gives his take on the songs from exactly that year, the one that is considered as a watershed in folk music.
Yet, within the songs he covers, there are definitely those that fit the folk genre (“Boots and Spanish Leather”), and those that just touch on it (The Beach Boys’ “The Warmth of The Sun”), but all done in his renowned acoustic guitar style and now warmly seasoned vocals.
The fact that Guadagno has a high standing in music circles is reflected in the crew that complements him here and includes such names as guitarist John Tropea.
In some ways, ‘1964’ is just another way an excellent musician remembers and now hears songs from a year he describes as “the year magic happened and a musical renaissance ensued.”
