Anthony Tamburro Launches New CD “Alaska” at Maxwell’s — Nov. 13

by Diana Schwaeble

Artists draw inspiration from unusual places. For some, it’s a half remembered childhood memory, or a dream, or a remote place that embodies an idea. Musician Anthony Tamburro has combined all three in his new CD titled Alaska.

The album is a bittersweet compilation of songs that encompasses the last ten years of work for the singer songwriter. On November 13, Tamburro will perform at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St.) at 9 p.m. with V.D. King, Lou Bevere, Paul Corona, and Don Kenny. Opening acts include blues maven Christine Santelli, and the band Hot Monkey Love. Copies of the new CD will be available for purchase at the show.

Recently, I spoke with Tamburro about his journey to create an original CD. The album cover, created by Adam Ahl, features a cabin that appears to be alone in the woods—an apt picture for an album named Alaska.

“It’s about a state of mind,” said Tamburro about the name of the album. “It’s about being stuck somewhere you can’t get out of. That’s why I thought of Alaska.” His music is roots rock and sounds like something you would hear on a jukebox, when you could walk into a bar and hear something besides the same recycled pop music. There is a longing present in the songs, and the lyrics depict perfect little slices of life. Each song is a story and reflects pieces of Tamburro’s past.

Anthony isn’t new to the music scene. He’s been performing for the past two decades at open mic nights and music venues in New Jersey and New York. He performed at Scotland Yard in Hoboken when it was a popular blues venue. Most recently, he’s performed at Finnegan’s Sunday night open mic night.

While he is proud of the entire album and says that it was cathartic to finally finish it, his favorite song is “Goodnight.”

“I love the way it came together,” he said. “It’s the heart of the album. If anyone would ask, ‘What do you want to sound like,’ that is it.”

“Goodnight” is the last track on the album. When he was recording the song, he needed an accordion player, but didn’t know who to call. He went into the Guitar Bar and spoke to James Mastro who put him in touch with the talented Andy Burton, who has played with John Mayer. Burton ended up playing on three of the tracks and Tamburro couldn’t be happier with the result.

The album was recorded at Garageland Studios in Jersey City and produced by V.D. King. “I couldn’t imagine there being a better person than V.D. for this,” he said.

Tamburro knows the importance of having a polished live performance. He has been performing with the cover band Enzo and the Bakers since he was a kid and new to music. Fellow cover bandmate Lou Bevere is on the album and will also perform at the show. The key to any live performance is to make sure the crowd has a good time, he says. “Everything they hear in a song – I want them to hear what I hear,” he said.

Fans at the upcoming show will hear songs from the album. The CD is also available at iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. For more information, visit: www.anthonytamburro.com.