DON'T LAUGH AT ME as recorded by FRANK RENDO

I am so enthused about writing this posting for you today, my friends - I can't even describe it!

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It is really a pleasure for me to tell all of you about Frank Rendo's newest recording, a touching song called "DON'T LAUGH AT ME."

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Frank does not work alone on this creative endeavor. He is joined by Broadway actor and Cabaret Singer, Jonathan Rayson;

singer/songwriter/arranger, talented Palma Pascale and gifted guitarist, master engineer and owner of Tiki Recording Studios, Fred Guarino.

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Here is a little teaser of Frank Rendo singing his newest single: DON'T LAUGH AT ME! Enjoy!

Frank is nothing less than brilliant in his vocal and theatrical delivery of this song and story. The story is one that I would guess more people will relate to than not, from some point-in-time in their lives. (photo: Frank Rendo) ~

The story is a decidedly poignant one - and I'm willing to offer that many of you will, indeed, find a tear in your eyes and a lump in your throat as you listen....that is, if you're not just plain weeping! I say this not only because of the message of the song, but because of the raw beauty of this recording, itself - and of course, Frank's delivery!

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This song is resplendent from the first note to the very last one. If you have read my reviews of Frank's work in the past, you already know that I believe him to have been blessed by God with one of THE most handsome, full-bodied, rich and EXPRESSIVE voices this writer has ever encountered. (And trust me when I tell you, I've been exposed to some mighty-fine vocalists in my life, so far).

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Yet, there is a distinguished, distinctive quality to Frank's voice. One listen to this amazing recording and you'll immediately hear what I mean. It is so well crafted, and sung... and it is so evidently pulled from that "special place" way deep down within Frank. The melody may not present him with a vocal challenge, yet the story, itself, demands to be sung with a love and caring that Frank easily carries out. He sings it sort of "respectfully", if you will.

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"...I'm the little boy with glasses - the one they call the geek.

A little girl who never smiles cause I got braces on my teeth.

I know what it's like to cry myself to sleep.

I'm that kid on every playground - who's always chosen last.

A single teenage mother tryin' to overcome my past.

You don't have to be my friend - but is it too much to ask???

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Don't laugh at me - don't call me names - don't get your pleasure from my pain.

In God's eyes, we're all the same - someday we'll all have perfect wings.

Don't laugh at me...."

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That is all of the story I'm telling you - but you can see for yourself what I mean about the poignancy of the story, yes? AND....that's why it's SO important that it be conveyed correctly. Count on Frank to carry that out, perfectly.

~ Providing the magnificent orchestration is Palma Pascale. She, too, has a "knack" to know exactly which spot to sweeten just so, and which ones can stand all by themselves. Her "less is more" application I myself am learning more about as I begin recording and arranging, but know this: This is a skill that most people (like me) need to work at and practice to get good at it. Palm has the innate ability to already "know" and can already "hear" what she wants to do. She just sits, and does it. She may make more than one pass at it, but the ability is built-in and comes across as easily to Palm as walking does to most of the rest of us. Her simple, clean piano intro sets the tone for the song perfectly. (pictured above: Palma Pascale)

Add some beautiful strings here and there to heighten the intensity, and another instrument or two, and voila! Another stellar arrangement.

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Frank is joined on the chorus by the crisp, strong and clear voice of Broadway's own Jonathan Rayson. Jonathan's vocal so compliments Frank's - they sing perfectly together, and it is obviously done with "ease." There are people who try to duet together - we've all heard them - they sound as though the two voices are competing with one another, or that it's really an "effort" to be in sync with one another.

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Not true in this case. Jonathan easily followed Frank's lead and you can immediately tell there was a distinct comfort level between the two. A chemistry, of sorts. (pictured: Jonathan Rayson)

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Jonathan Rayson began singing with his father's cover band at the early age of 7 years. He began acting as a junior in high school, and has been singing and acting ever since! He has performed both ON Broadway as well as OFF Broadway - in Regional Theatre where he has played roles like Cornelius Hackl in HELLO DOLLY - he has performed in many workshops and showcases - has done concert performances and, he just recently released his first solo CD (and I have one of these - it's outstanding) called SHINY AND NEW. Jonathan performs 14 cover songs on SHINY AND NEW - two of which are by some of my own very favorite, long-time artists: Billy Joel and Carpenters. Besides the other 12 cuts on this CD, Jonathan performs Billy's "Summer Highland Falls" and Richard Carpenter's "I Need To Be in Love" with true style! A really tremendous collection of tunes.

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So on this recording, Jonathan first joins Frank on the chorus, and these two are so perfectly tuned-in with each other, that they sound like one!

~ Another element to this composition comes from the skilled engineer of the song, Fred Guarino. Fred has played guitar for many years, but his guitar seems to have taken a backseat to his passion for recording other incredible artists.....and he's amazing at what he does behind that console, believe me. But....Fred is a quite good, creative guitarist, as well. Fred's chops - they're rock-solid.

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Fred adds such nice, tasteful guitar elements to this song - nothing overdone, but his guitar is a very important piece of the whole. (pictured: Palma Pascale/Fred Guarino)

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I have been fortunate enough to have listened to this song from its first recording stages....that is, at first, just Frank's vocal, some drums, and piano by Palm. Each time I heard a new version, little bits and pieces had been added. One such listen included the first session of Fred's guitar work - some of which changed from the first pass. I very much like what Fred added - the style in which he played, and the effects he chose to use.

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Now, not only did Fred do the wonderful guitar work - it's his expertise that provides the awesome, perfectly timed and again, tastefully executed drums! Wow! Trust me - it's not an "easy" task by any means to coordinate these drums and do it so that the drums are not overpowering...but they must help the expression of the song along - and Fred's treatment here perfectly compliments the work of everyone else involved.

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Are you feeling the sense of all of these separate pieces joining one another to end up as one solid creation? Fred pulls the well done pieces together and, as Palm recently said to me, "provides the grout to make the pieces seamless." Amen to that!

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And, speaking of Palma - after a modulation where Frank's lead vocal takes on just the slightest "edge" to accentuate the lyrics, and as he does so....the most awesome set of vocal "aaahhh's," almost like "pleas of heartfelt pain" if you will, punctuate just how intense the story is getting, and we hear them for just (4) four very important, chilling measures.

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So both here, and on the second chorus, Frank is not only joined by Jonathan,

but Palm's voice is added to the mix, as well. Each vocal layer floats, one above the other, exact diction in-sync with one another, and this dynamic build not only moves the story towards a climactic point - it's just absolutely touching and oh, so gorgeous. (pictured: Jonathan Rayson/Frank Rendo/Palma Pascale)

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Frank artfully sings a short bridge -we hear a waterfall of vocal ooo's at one point, and then..... an effective pause........ a SECOND modulation, then suddenly..... those wonderful stacked voices are back, a bit more powerful and even more beautiful....Once that crowning point in the song has been reached, Jonathan and Palm's voices are no longer....Frank turns around the chorus with everyone's voices, and then Frank takes it out on his own, just as he introduces it - in a tender voice that tells the listener an entire story, in and of its own accord.

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Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, when you hear Frank Rendo's newest song "DON'T LAUGH AT ME"- you will want to have it to listen to again and again. And, that can happen! I will let you know right here when it is

ready to be released, and just how you can go about ordering your own copy.

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To you, Frank - your talent is beyond measure. You have produced a truly moving and thought provoking song (again) using that awesome, awesome voice of yours. Your vision for the recording was spot-on. Nice job!

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And to you, Jonathan, Fred and Palm - this is yet another award-winning recording. It is so well done - most beautiful and each of you did an outstanding job.

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Stunning......simply, stunning! (Pictured: Jonathan Rayson/Frank Rendo/Fred Guarino)

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You can count on hearing more from me about Frank Rendo and his exquisite music!

~Martini

Photos courtesy Frank Rendo/Palma Pascale

Standing O for Mr. Rendo

Hello to all my Ramblings Regarding RENDO readers. A special treat for you today. Frank was recently interviewed by Pat Hogeboom, author and columnist for Great South Bay Magazine, a Long Island Publication. This article is from the April 2009 edition. Her column is entitled LUVPATS. It's a marvelous article, and I knew you all would enjoy reading it. Reprinted in its entirety, here is: (photo: Frank Rendo) Standing O for Mr. Rendo "Ok, so life today is darned hard. We worry, we kvetch and what we all need is to smile more, to have a rest from anxiety, to bolster our belief in ourselves and in the Most Significant Other, whatever our faith may be. We need to lighten our hearts, to relax with friends and just allow ourselves to be uplifted. I have a secret I want to share with you, my readers. We do have that opportunity right here on the South Shore of our own Long Island and we don't even have to watch American Idol. He is Frank Rendo, a truly gifted man of song; a professional musician and a man with a special mission of spiritual uplift through music. The wonderful news is that you can hear him at many venues all summer long. (photo left: Frank Rendo-Credit: Frank Rendo, Sr.) Frank has that smile and a welcoming personality as he shares his music with others....and that voice! Oh, the voice that makes you smile, gives a shiver to your soul, and touches your heart. He is our own local song man whom you will hear at concerts far and near, singing hymns, good gospel, and often thrilling musical show tunes, each with a message to lift us up and give us hope in ourselves and in our future. ~ This is music we love, without the lectures, or any sense of guilt. It is given with joy, just to those who hear him, and then we can listen to his wonderful CDs. He is a man with a mission. It isn't meant to convert people or to insult one group over another; it's to find joy in trust, love for our fellow man, presented where people can just have a good time. Frank is often performing gratis for a good cause that he believes in, such as the restoration of Oakdale's tiny St. John's church, or for Jesus Alive, the group that collects food for the needy. Since he is such a fine professional musician, he is more often performing for his livelihood at concerts all over the country including many sojourns to Europe where he is known in many places and is invited to return. ~ He began singing as most true musicians do, as a child, singing in choirs, both in church and in concert groups at school. He began to do plays as well and a great deal of community theatre so he is completely comfortable on the stage. He has performed in dozens of musicals, even playing Jesus in "Jesus Christ Super Star" but he has also appeared in commercials and TV shows. He honors his own choral teacher, Elizabeth Armstrong, now retired from Central Islip where he went to school. He can actually sight read and sight sing music, a rare skill. He began his own business in high school, making recordings and doing professional concerts. A college graduate, he also studied theology with his music, but it wasn't until later that he began to focus on the spiritual aspects of his songs. His two bands, Front Line and Epiphany, have traveled the USA, Europe and Israel as well. His own traveling concert is titled, "Frank Rendo: More Than A Concert." He has appeared at the Nassau Coliseum and Westbury Music Fair where he has headlined and co-produced the "One Night a Year" concert. ~ (photo: Frank Rendo - Credit: Frank Rendo, Sr.) This summer he will be on the South Shore at St. John's, Oakdale, sometime in June [Sunday, June 14, 2:00 p.m.] to help with their restoration, and in August [Sunday, August 23, 3:00 p.m.] he'll be in Bay Shore at the Band Shell, among many scheduled appearances. On Saturday, May 2, he will also be performing at his regular concert in East Northport. So, it's a bit off the South Shore but "Samantha's Li'l Bit of Heaven," [631] 262-1212, is the most unique musical venue I've ever experienced, and it doesn't hurt us to explore. It is a charming place on Larkfield Road that holds musical events every Saturday evening. Frank usually is there on the first Saturday of the month where his fans gather to hear him. Wait until you hear him sing, "A Place Called Hope," or the one that reduced me to tears, from Les Miserables, "Bring Him Home," that he sings for the troops. You will jump to your feet and cheer for him, begging for more, and he won't let you down. The man sings for two solid hours with two short breaks, when you can have coffee, or tea and a dessert and chat with total strangers who can't live without his uplift in their lives. Do I sound like one of them? That just might be the case. Find out more about him at ReverbNation.com/FrankRendo, or MySpace.com/FrankRendoMusic. You can hear some of his music, too. His CDs, however, are real quality. Let your inner self find some peace with song. Once you hear him, you won't be able to say no to this man." ~ So.....there you have it! Don't you think that was nicely written? I certainly do, and I'm happy to have received a copy to be able to share with all of you. Pat Hogeboom IS a fan of Frank Rendo, and I believe she quite captures the essence of Frank in this article. His voice is one of those that once you hear it, you will never forget it - and you will never want to be without it available to you. I have seen Frank "perform" briefly once, but not in concert. I am awaiting that day, because for as much as I love this man's music, I know that watching him perform it will be a truly amazing experience. The videos I have seen show me that Frank is the "consummate performer/entertainer" , and his audiences will always get the "best" of him. ~ Bravo and Kudos to you, Frank!! I hope the summer is filled with Frank Rendo music for all of my readers, as well as those Long Islanders who can see these noted performances in person, along with the many more Frank will be doing. As a reminder, you can order any of Franks's CDs by writing to him at FrankRendo@Yahoo.com, or you can order them from www.cdbaby.com/cd/Rendo, or you can certainly e-mail me at bmjfan@mchsi.com, and I'll see to it your order gets to you, Post-haste. ~ Hmmm....the wonderous sounds of Summer enhanced with the beautiful music of Frank Rendo. Now I ask you....who could ask for anything more? ~ ~Martini

HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THIS MAN???

Hello Frank Rendo Fans~

Martini, back to muse a bit with you this Easter Sunday about a wonderful CD I promised I would write about, way back when. It occurs to me that the time is overdue for me to talk about this one.

The CD? HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THIS MAN?! Though I was introduced to the indescribable talent of Frank Rendo via the REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS CD and the recording

of that, HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THIS MAN? is the first of Frank's contemporary Christian recordings that I listened to. By now, you all know me well enough to know that I didn't just listen to it - I listened, and listened and listened to it. It wasn't a task, by any stretch....it's just that good!

What I find amazing since I've been writing these blogs both about Frank, and about his current musical collaborator Palma Pascale (however, HOW CAN YOU SAY NO was made long before he met Palma), the thing that becomes startlingly clear from the first note to the last is that Frank, and Palma, and their fabulous recording engineer, Fred Guarino never fail to produce just awesome results in the form of the music. This CD of Franks is certainly no exception!

As I mentioned, Frank did this CD long before he met Palma, and Fred did not do the major recording here. Frank released this CD originally in 1991. It was recorded in various locales in New York, and parts of it were recorded in Tel Aviv, Israel. He did, however, re-release it as a 15th Anniversary Edition in 2006. The CD was remastered and restored by Fred Guarino of TIKI Recording Studios, and, according to the liner notes, a few tracks were recorded at TIKI, as well, at that time.

I was not a bit surprised when I listened to this CD for the first time. As all of Frank's recordings have been, it's awesome. Each and every song has a uniqueness all its own, yet there is the same magnificent, smooth, dynamic, expressive voice of Frank Rendo on them all.

It's a fun listen, this CD. It begins with a song entitled O, HOW MUCH YOUR LOVE MEANS TO ME - a fast paced song, punctuated with an array of beautiful orchestration, and the message is very clear - "...God you are the way...God you are the light and I see Your shining face in plain

sight....O, how much your love means to me...."

Frank provides the backing vocals, as well as a synth bass and he also plays some keyboard on this one. A most talented individual, indeed.

I really like this song because Frank sounds like he's having a great time getting the story across here. The liner notes call this "A Modern Day Psalm." True enough. A well-done, fun listen. Rob Taormina's saxophone lines really pop, and add a lot of warmth to the piece. Frank's enthusiasm is apparent in this selection, and I think it's a super way to start off the wonderful collection found in this great CD.

"...I yield myself to you....Lord, have Your way in me...and make me what you said that I should be..." These lyrics are but one brief glimpse of the absolutely gorgeous David Ridgeway composition called HAVE YOUR WAY IN ME, our second selection on this compilation.

Frank's vocal has a "longing" quality in it to this writer's ear, as he sings this one. The melody is stunning, and it contains a gorgeous, beautifully executed suspension, that is repeated many times during the song, as Frank sings "...Have Your way in me...." Just really nice - and so effective.

The night I met Frank Rendo, almost two years ago in Bethpage, NY, he was not only singing but playing the keyboards as well. (see photo, above) At that time, I knew precious little about our Mr. Rendo, save that he had a voice I couldn't ever listen to enough - such handsome qualities in his voice - (one of his press pieces refers to his voice as "velvet and steel" - and that's a great way to talk about Frank's voice.....he does them both, well) - and he was referred to as "the real deal" by Palma Pascale - PLUS I'd learned how generous a man Frank truly is, at that point. I had a big smile on my face as I watched him play and sing that night at the church in Bethpage; and I found myself thinking that I shouldn't be surprised that Frank played the keyboards. I began, then, contemplating what else he might be musically adept at doing. I think it's safe to say his musical background is well-rounded, and he is a master of not only those fantastic "vocal chops," but of many instruments, as well. By now, I know that he is a producer, and a conductor, an actor, and he seems to be able to do whatever he puts his mind to - and do it well! From Christian to Country, and everything in between! (photo taken at St. Mark's Church, Bethpage, NY-October, 2007)

HAVE YOUR WAY IN ME is a beautiful ballad, and Frank certainly does it justice; the message is simple - "....and in fulfillment of Your will, I offer up my life in sacrifice in praise to You for all You've done for me...." And, so the lyric goes. A melodic testimony, if you will.

I mentioned "expression" earlier - Frank's ability to be expressive is quite notable. He and I talked about this at one point recently; his training as an actor, he believes, helps in this regard. Though I would agree with him, I think there's more - here's what I personally observe - it's Frank's complete sincerity that does the trick. The expression Frank is able to put into a song - the way he almost jumps off of the CD and is singing right in front of you - just for you - is due, in my opinion, in great part to the fact that he BELIEVES what he is singing. He LIVES what he is singing. He MEANS ...."Have Your Way In Me." Well, well done, Frank.

Oh boy! Another favorite and the music for this one was co-written by Frank, himself. It's called WAKE UP, PEOPLE! Frank collaborates on the music with Billy Christopher - Billy penned the lyrics to this one. I have a lot of fun with this one, and it makes me smile, each time it comes on my player. See...it begins with a bit of spoken dialogue. The phone rings, and a woman answers. It's an actor by the name of Tim Castle who is calling a woman named Heather Robertson, and the call sounds something like this:

RING - RING: (Woman answers) "* big sigh*" (this by Linda Sheedy - a real 2am desperation sigh!)

Burns: "Goooooooooood Morning, Ma'am!"

Woman: "Is it morning already?" (I love this next line)

Burns: "It's been morning all morning, Ma'am!"

Woman: "Oh no! You're not one of those telephone comediennes, are you?"

Burns: "No Ma'am. My name's Richard Burns - I'm hosting the new radio call-in show called 'It's Sunday Morning...So Why Aren't You In Church.' - It's Sunday Morning -So Why Aren't You In Church?"

Here's an interesting bit of detail I got from Frank about this conversation, in his own words: "During the dialogue at the beginning , all the woman talk is by Heather Castle, although the sigh is Linda Sheedy. When we cut the dialogue, we realized that the girl never actually says "hello" when she picks up the phone, and since Heather and Tim live in upstate NY (4 hours from where I live), I had Linda on hand at the time and she obliged with what we thought would be a good alternative. And, by the way, the dialogue was recorded on cassette, and the phone was a sample from Rick’s sister's telephone that had a REAL bell ring...which was becoming harder to find in 1991." I love to learn bits and pieces like this. The "Rick" Frank refers to is Rick Bieder. More on Rick, to come.

So.....just as Richard Burns begins to speak his last lines, the rhythm of WAKE UP, PEOPLE! begins to play. It's a true "gospel-rock" beat, and it's definitely an attention grabber. I like the crispness of all of the various instruments in this one...Frank adds tambourine, and a fantastic synth organ....not to mention, he does all of the back-up vocals. Now, I have to tell you, there are a lot of great backing vocals in this one - and they are HIGH! Honestly, if I hadn't known it was all Frank, I would have guessed that he had an actual full gospel choir of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses behind him.....it's that good. I was most impressed! It's awesome, and it's fun! The song has a wonderful message:

"...You reap what you sow - how well we all know that expression of days gone by~

But how many of you, if called for the harvest would find your seeds planted have died?

You sow and you sow, and isn't it so how the cares of this life weigh you down?

And then what you reap as you have fallen asleep is a rusted and powerless crown.

Wake up, people - there's a harvest of life to bring in.

There are seeds to be planted for we have been granted a life-giving love from our King!

Wake up, people - for there isn't much time left to lose.

We must get the word out to our sisters and brothers so they'll know the right way to chose..."

It's true, we won't know the day or the hour Christ is coming back - this song tells us, the listener, we need to be sure the seeds that we sow fall on ground that will allow them to grow - and we can spread the word to all that we know so they, too, will be ready!

Nice job on this one, Frank - and all who were involved. I know that Frank loves what he does - I've said it before, and will say it again - Frank was given a gift - an amazing talent for, and tremendous understanding of music - how to sing it - how to play it - how to direct it - and how to share it with others. Frank gives back for the blessing he was given, and shares the word of God in song with others. This album is a beautiful reminder of that.

I will return here and will muse more very soon about more of the 14 tracks that comprise HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THIS MAN? There are many masterfully performed songs, and I want to give each one a place of their own.

As information, Frank's CDs can be purchased by contacting him at FrankRendo@yahoo.com, or certainly anyone can contact me, and I will happily get them ordered for you.

Until next time, then...thanks to Frank Rendo for an outstanding CD with gorgeous and well-done messages throughout, told to us with that incredible voice he uses so well....and that he shares with us!

Happy Easter Everyone~

~Martini

Photo Credits: Album cover portrait by Tess Steinkolk, NYC

Frank in concert was taken at Samantha's Li'l Bit of Heaven, East Northport, NY

Frank at piano, St. Mark's/Bethpage, NY: Tim San Paolo