Visual Sound: Issue 27
Bill Charlap
“I Was Born In Love With You” and “By Myself”
In this month’s “Meet…” section, West Orange piano maestro Bill Charlap raises the bar on incredible jazz pianistics. In this 2022 clip, wait until he pounds the heck out of out the 1937 chestnut “By Myself” from the Broadway musical Between The Devil. The tune has been sung by Sammy Davis, Jr., Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Fred Astaire, Lena Horne, Ann-Margret, Cher and Ella Fitzgerald. But no one has ever played it like this!
The Antoine Poncelet Band
“Drowning Men”
A tale of love, death and the deep blue sea, “Drowning Men” was filmed on location down the shore in Keansburg Beach as well as Montclair. The song itself was arranged, mixed, mastered and produced in Hazlet at 650 Studios. The band—singer Antoine Poncelet, guitarist Pete Quilla, bassist Mark McClemons, keyboardist Ray Litterio and drummer Eddy “Enzyme” Salek—are Jersey to the max with members from West Orange, Totowa, Lodi, Hasbrouck Heights and Matawan. They’ve been described as old-school hard-goth post-punk.
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Fear Of Falling
“Do Don’t”
The infectious tribal beat of “Do Don’t” is instantly catchy and memorable. The song is from Fear Of Falling’s fifth album, Speak Low. This animated clip was directed by Waqar Afzal and described as “futuristic cyber funk” with its clipped vocals and staccato synthesizer blasts “adding to the sense of uncertainty with the song highlighting a spirit of anxiety.” This Hunterdon County band has been around for 30 years!
Patriarchs In Black
“Welcome To Hell Again”
We’re all over anything heavy metal hero Dan Lorenzo does! The Paramus headbanger has numerous bands and numerous projects always going simultaneously. This one is from the third Patriarchs In Black album, Visioning, due July 19.