Frankie V. And The Lonely Club
Play The Blues
Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro © Oct 2025
Play The Blues, the third release from Frankie V. and the Lonely Club could not have been more appropriately titled, because these guys came to do just that.....play the blues!
The band features Frankie V. - the composer of the disc’s ten tracks - on guitar, dobro and lead vocals; Rich Sylvester on keyboards and vocals; Mike Lencioni on drums and vocals; Johnny Valentine on bass; and Ricky D. on sax. Also appearing are Gloria Cumelis on background vocals and Bruce La Mantia on drums.
A comment on the one-sheet accompanying the disc states that “Frankie V. and the Lonely Club deliver the record they’ve always wanted to make, a straight-up, full-throttle blues album.....”, and within seconds of the opening track - “Purple Heart Blues” - it appeared they were well on their way to accomplishing exactly that. Frankie’s stinging blues guitar leads; his low down, gritty vocals; the slow blues rhythm groove that Rich, Bruce, and Johnny are locked into on the organ, drums, and bass respectively; and Ricky’s fervent sax interludes; are indeed the perfect ingredients for straight-up, full-throttle slow blues at its best.
I’m pretty sure that most of us who have interacted with this product have at one time or another had a case of the “Reposado Blues”. The song addresses the trials and tribulations associated with tangling with tequila and losing. Musically, this is a whole lot more of what I spoke about above, with lengthy and crazy good blues guitar runs from Frankie. Lyrically, vocally and musically, slow blues don’t get much better than this.
Whatever it is you may be doing, Ricky’s smooth, subtle sax leads and Rich’s titillating tickling of the ivories on the intro to “So Long Ago”, will make you want to stop, sit back and let this one carry you away. Then, Frankie starts crooning and the trance just got enhanced. From start to finish, this is one heck of a beautifully done track.
When you’ve been doing it for so long, and you do it this good, ya gotta throw in at least one blues rocker. “Home Is Where You Are” starts off with the line “Going down the highway with my foot on the floor” and that pretty much says it all. With that pedal to the metal vibe, this smoker features ferocious rhythm, exuberant guitar runs, and robust lead and harmony vocals.
“The Roller” is a solo acoustic performance by Frankie that showcases his masterful Dobro skills and his eloquent vocal abilities. At just two minutes and fourteen seconds, I highly recommend you give this one two to three replays. It’s deserving.
Ironically, it’s because of her bad habits that Frankie finds his woman a “Hard Habit” to break. He claims that leaving her might just be a mistake. Hmmmm! Maybe thinking like that is the real mistake. This shuffle features the usual fabulous guitar leads from Frankie and a super soulful sax run by Ricky.
The disc closes with “Chili Pepper Blues”. It’s a solo acoustic instrumental that features Frankie showcasing his mastery of the slide guitar. Another short and sweet one.
Other tracks on Play The Blues include: “Birds And Bees”; “Letting Go”; and “No Place To Go”. If like me, Frankie V. and the Lonely Club have flown under your radar, here’s your chance to do something about that.
Find out more about Frankie V. And the Lonely Club, check them out at - www.FrankieVandtheLonelyClub.com. As usual, when you contact them, please tell them their new friend the Blewzzman sent you.
