Danny Federici

Like Craig Chaquico, Jonathan Cain and Neal Schon, Danny Federici comes upon smooth jazzdom through a longtime tenure in rock - as Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band organist. It's not surprising to find, then, that the title track of Flemington gallops along like the faster segments of "Born To Run" - with organ as an underpinning bluesy element and a hooky piano melody on top. While Federici's old Boss often took a serious approach to songwriting, the keyboardist is more playful, letting loose with tongue in cheek titles like "Mingle Mangle" (propelled by a conversation between Federici's gospel-flavor organ and Nils Lofgren's electric guitar) and "My Little Cow," whose oft-repeated puffy piano vamp is balanced by darker, horn section and organ concerns in the main melody. Another cutesy title, "Egg Beater" belies the intensity of a brimming mix of organ with another Federici specialty, the accordian. Federici's often juxtaposed blend of tempos, genres and primary instruments make this debut a challenge, of course, but that's not to say he can't perfect and simple instrumental piano pop; the sit down/stand up/sit down again flow of "Carousel Breeze" sounds like it could have come straight from one of Jonthan Cain's' seductive Higher Octave efforts. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide