Songs from the Great Italian-American Songbook

A new album by Jenna Esposito

Hello, and thanks for stopping by the More Amore website! I’m so excited to be sharing this album with you – it has truly been a labor of love and there are so many interesting stories behind it! I tried to fit everything I wanted to say into the cover of the CD, but it was just impossible, so here we are!

First of all, I want to introduce you to each of the musicians on the CD. I’m truly blessed to have a collection of amazingly talented musicians playing and singing on this album, and it didn’t seem right to just list their names on the CD cover. They are each wonderful performers in their own right, and I encourage you to read their bios and visit their links to get to know more about each of them.

Secondly, I wanted to say a little bit about each of the songs on the album. There are stories behind each of them, and I thought listeners may want to know a little bit more about the music on the album. Some of the songs may not have a blatant connection to “The Great Italian-American Songbook,” so I’m including information on these connections, such as the Italian or Italian-American singers who made them famous. There are also some interesting backstories on how I found some of the songs (or how they found me!). For people who may have stumbled upon this site without purchasing the album, I also wanted to be sure to include samples of each of the songs, to give you more of an idea of the sound of the album!

And finally, of course, I wanted to give everyone a simple and stress-free way to order the album. If you order through the link on this website, I’d be more than happy to sign the CD for you before I ship it out; please just let me know to whom the CD should be signed. In any case, thank you again for stopping by, and please feel free to explore the site and enjoy the features!

The Video

The Musicians

Learn more about the musicians & contributors to "More Amore!"

The Songs

1. Swingin' On A Rainbow Swingin' On A Rainbow

A few years back, on Christmas Day, my family was gathered around the dining room table, and we began talking about the stockings (which, of course, were hung by the chimney with care). All of a sudden my dad popped up from the table, singing, "You've got me, hook, line, and sinker…" and then wondering aloud what that song was. In discussing the stockings and the hooks upon which they were hung, that lyric had popped into his head, but none of us could place the song! After a quick search on the computer, we came upon Frankie Avalon's recording of "Swingin' On A Rainbow," and we all instantly fell in love with the song! It was added to my repertoire shortly thereafter, and I'm so thrilled to finally have a chance to record it! Born Francis Thomas Avallone, Frankie Avalon is a great contributor to "The Great Italian-Songbook," and given that he's a Philadelphia native, it's especially appropriate that we have members of Philly's City Rhythm Orchestra joining us on this recording!

2. Quando, Quando, Quando Quando, Quando, Quando

"Quando, Quando, Quando" is one of those songs that has been on my list to perform for years, and for some reason, it just kept getting put aside. However, when I decided to record this album, I also decided it was high time to do this song! Written by Tony Renis (born Elio Cesari), who debuted the song at the 1962 Sanremo Music Festval and had a huge hit with it in Italy, and Alberto Testa, "Quando, Quando, Quando" has transcended the test of time and is a perennial favorite among Italians and non-Italians alike. Its bossa nova rhythm and upbeat melody always have listeners singing, dancing, and bopping along, whether it's sung in Italian, English, or both! I hope our version has you singing, dancing, and bopping along, as well!

3. Breve Amore Breve Amore

I've long been an admirer of the Italian pop singer, Mina, and when her recording of "Breve Amore" popped up while I was listening to Pandora last year, it was love at first listen. I literally gasped as I was listening, because I felt like the song had been written for me. I loved everything about it, and this song truly was the impetus for me to record a new album. I heard it and right away I just knew I had to not only perform it, but record it! So, a year, 3 months, and 20 songs later, here we are! While thinking about the arrangement, I said to my husband, Jimmy, "I think flute would sound beautiful on this; I think I'm going to ask Frank (our amazing sax/woodwind player) to play flute," at which point Jimmy said, "Don't YOU play the flute?" Indeed, I do! So, I worked with my dad to write not one, but two flute parts, and I played both on the recording, which was a fun treat for me! I truly hope all of you enjoy this song as much as I do!

4. Teenager In Love / The Wanderer Teenager In Love / The Wanderer

Made famous by Bronx native Dion DiMucci ("Teenager In Love" with the Belmonts; "The Wanderer" sans Belmonts), these two songs are always big crowd pleasers at any of the Italian festivals at which I perform. Dion's signature sound was so characteristic of the music being made in Italian neighborhoods across the country in the late ‘50s and early ‘ 60s, and it really resonates not only with people of that generation, but with "kids" of all ages! It is good, old, fashioned fun music, and it's even more fun with my awesome band and my backup vocalists, who really help create that signature Dion sound!

5. Addio Mi’ Amore Addio Mi’ Amore

Connie Francis (born Concetta Marie Franconero) has long been one of my favorite singers and biggest influences (in fact, I perform a full-length tribute to her and one of my albums is a live recording of that tribute!), and she is the one of the main reasons I became interested in "The Great Italian-American Songbook." When I was first putting together my tribute to her, back in 2008, I truly enjoyed learning all of her music, but I found that the songs that resonated most with me were the Italian songs she sang. There was such passion behind them, and they were really songs that you could sink your teeth into as a singer. So, I started doing more research on the history of Italian-American music (btw, Mark Rotella's book, Amore: The Story of Italian American Song is a great place to start, if you are interested in this subject!), and the rest, as they say, is history! I always like to include a Connie song or two in my shows and on my albums, and this album is no different! "Addio Mi' Amore" was the B-side of Connie's 1967 single, "Why Say Goodbye," which was a top 40 hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Although "Addio Mi' Amore" did not chart, it still remains one of my favorite Connie songs to perform!

6. Beyond The Sea Beyond The Sea

Although "Beyond The Sea" was originally a French song ("La Mer"), the most famous recording is that by Bobby Darin (who, coincidentally, was Connie Francis' teenage sweetheart). Born Walden Robert Cassotto, Bobby began his career as a songwriter and found success as a singer in the late ‘50s with pop songs like "Splish Splash" and "Dream Lover," but, wanting to prove that he could sing more than pop tunes (and book a coveted gig at the Copacabana), he released the 1959 album "That's All," which not only got him the spot at the Copacabana, but won him two Grammy awards and yielded two Top Ten hits, "Mack The Knife" (which I recorded on my previous album), and "Beyond The Sea." Interestingly enough, "Beyond The Sea" was originally slated to be on my debut album in 2007, but didn't make the cut, so it's been a song that I've been wanting to record for quite some time! I'm so happy to finally have it recorded, and with such a fabulous band!

7. Torna A Surriento Torna A Surriento

"Torna A Surriento" is one of those classic Neapolitan songs that seems to have been around forever, although it was actually composed in 1894. It is probably one of the most-performed and most-recorded songs not only in Italy or in the "Great Italian-American Songbook," but all over the world – and with good reason! Its brooding, haunting melody and the longing which it conveys stay with listeners long after the last note has been sung. For anyone who has visited Sorrento, it evokes the sight of the sea and the sweet smell of flowers and citrus in the air…and for those who have not been there, it creates a longing to travel there. For me, I just close my eyes, listen to the music, and envision sitting on a balcony overlooking the water, a mild breeze, blowing through my hair…and in a moment, I am there.

8. Lightnin’ Strikes Lightnin’ Strikes

I was in fourth grade the first time I heard "Lightnin' Strikes," and I remember thinking at the time that it was one of the coolest songs I'd ever heard. Well, flash forward 3+ decades later, and I STILL think it's one of the coolest songs I've ever heard! It's one of my favorite songs to perform live, and I'm thrilled to be including it on this album. An interesting tidbit: Lou Christie, who co-wrote the song and had a smash hit with it, was born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco. He had planned to use the stage name of "Lugee," along the lines of the other one-named wonders of the time like Fabian and Dion; however, when his first single, "The Gypsy Cried," was released. he was shocked to see that the name on the record was not "Lugee," but "Lou Christie" – the record label had changed his name without consulting him! Evidently, he was not thrilled, but his father was pleased that his new last name had the word "Christ" in it!

9. Ain’t That A Kick In The Head Ain’t That A Kick In The Head

No tribute to "The Great Italian-American Songbook" would be complete without the inclusion of Dino Paul Crocetti, better known as Dean Martin. Known as "the king of cool," Dino's easygoing manner, fantastic sense of humor, and twinkle in the eye continue to win over the hearts of people all over the world, decades after he left this earth to join that great nightclub in the sky. "Ain't That A Kick In The Head," written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, for the movie Ocean's 11, is one of his signature songs, and it's always a joy to perform, especially when I'm joined by the horns from Philadelphia's City Rhythm Orchestra, as I am on this album!

10. All The Way All The Way

Fresh on the heels of one song written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen is another of their classics, this one made famous by Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. "All The Way" was written for the movie The Joker Is Wild, and won the 1957 Academy Award for Best Original Song. On this song, I'm joined again by the fabulous horns from the City Rhythm Orchestra, and I also got to be part of the band, playing a beautiful flute part written for me by Pete Spina.

11. Cara Mia Cara Mia

Few songs generate a reaction from a crowd like "Cara Mia." From the opening chime, I can always hear gasps of "Oh, I love this song!" whenever I perform it, so I'm very happy to finally have a recorded version of it! Written by Tulio Trapani and Lee Lange, the song was first a hit in the UK for English singer David Whitfield back in 1954, but the most enduring and well-loved version is that of Jay and the Americans, released in 1965. On this album, "Cara Mia" is dedicated to Angelo Monaco, a good family friend who passed away too soon, a few years ago. My dad always referred to Angelo as "the sound doctor," and indeed he was – he was a true genius with any type of audio equipment. He set up the sound for many of my family's concerts, and whenever he did a sound check, he would belt out "Cara Mia," his favorite song. So, Angelo, I hope you enjoy this one – it's for you!

12. Arrivederci Roma (Goodbye To Rome) Arrivederci Roma (Goodbye To Rome)

"Arrivederci Roma" is another special dedication on this album; this one is in honor of my paternal grandmother, Frances Esposito. She always wanted to be an opera singer, and proudly played the trumpet in her school band. Both she and my paternal grandfather, Joseph Esposito, were musical, and I credit them with passing along their musical talents to my dad, who then passed them along to me and my sister! A few weeks before Grandma passed away, we were visiting her in the hospital, and my dad had brought along a guitar so that we could all sing some songs together I was sitting beside her bed and she turned to me and said, "Jenna, do you know what song I always loved?" And I said no and asked her which song, and her reply was "Arrivederci Roma," so I sang it for her that day in the hospital, and every time I've sung it since that day, I have sung it with her in mind. Grandma I know you're up there, singing along in heaven!

13. Il Cielo Il Cielo

Speaking of heaven, that is what "Il Cielo" means! When I asked my good friend, Aaron Caruso, to sing a duet with me on this album, he said sure, and asked me if I'd consider doing a song he had written, called "Il Cielo." From the first time he sent me a sample recording of the song, with just him singing and accompanying himself on the piano, I fell in love with the song. It's a beautiful song and a perfect addition to my album, and I'm thrilled that Aaron has shared it with me, and lent his vocal talents to it, as well!

14. O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never

"O Sole Mio" is, perhaps, one of the most famous songs in the world. It has been covered by artists from all different backgrounds, and is almost instantly recognizable to millions of people. In 1960, Elvis Presley (who was inspired by Tony Martin's version of the song, entitled "There's No Tomorrow," which he'd heard while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army) released his version of the classic song, entitled, "It's Now Or Never." Written for Elvis by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold, "It's Now Or Never" sold over 20 million copies and is one of the best-selling singles of all time. I wanted to include both the original version of the song and Elvis' version on my album, for a few reasons. First of all, Elvis' version brought this beautiful Neapolitan song to America, and really, to the world. Without him, the song would have been popular, yes, but I don't believe it would have received anywhere close to the popularity it has received, had it not been for Elvis' version. Secondly, I've always had an affinity for Elvis…not only did I grow up listening to my dad sing Elvis songs, but I really believe he should have been an honorary Italian…I mean, those looks, that charisma, that voice…am I right?

15. Blame It On The Bossa Nova Blame It On The Bossa Nova

One of the fun things about my research on "The Great Italian-American Songbook" is that it is ongoing; I constantly find new and interesting facts about songs, or Italian-American history, and, in some cases, I discover that an artist that I had no idea came from an Italian background, is, indeed, Italian-American! Such was the case with Edyie Gormé, who was born Edith Gormezano, and it turns out that her father was born in Sicily! "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" reached the top 10 and became Edyie's biggest solo hit, and it's also become one of the most fun songs I perform!

16. Amore Scusami Amore Scusami

I've always been a big fan of Jerry Vale, and "Amore Scusami" is one of my favorite songs of his. This is something I have in common with my late father-in-law, Frank Cannizzaro ("Big Frank)," which is why I've dedicated this song to him on my album. My husband Jimmy has told me stories about Big Frank sitting in his chair on Sunday afternoons, listening to his "Italian music" on his cassette player. And more often than not, the voice coming out of the speaker was that of Jerry Vale. Big Frank was a big supporter of mine and loved coming to my performances, and as a fellow proud Italian-American, I felt a special bond with him due to our shared love of our heritage and especially the music that comes with it. So, Big Frank, this one's for you!

17. Tik A Tee, Tik A Tay Tik A Tee, Tik A Tay

Although "Tik A Tee, Tik A Tay" was not one of Dean Martin's biggest hits, it's always been one of my favorite songs of his – to me, it shows off his silly, lighthearted personality, and we tried to capture a little of that silliness with our version of it. I must give special credit to Kelly Esposito-Broelmann and Rob Langeder on those backup vocals…they worked their tails off to learn them, and all the while, I sat there thinking, "Phew, glad it's them and not me!" In all seriousness, though, Kelly & Rob do an amazing job, and this song is a great showcase for them!

18. Piove (Ciao Ciao Bambina) Piove (Ciao Ciao Bambina)

Written by Domenico Modugno and Edoardo "Dino" Verde, "Piove" won first prize at the 1959 Sanremo Music Festival, which was quite an accomplishment for Modugno, as he had also taken first prize the year before with "Volare" (which he wrote with lyricist Franco Migliacci). I've always enjoyed this song, and love to perform it; the bouncy, upbeat melody provides an interesting juxtaposition to the sad lyrics, which tell the story of the end of a love affair. Just a little food for thought as you listen!

19. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Perhaps the most famous and well-loved song on my album…what else can I say about "Can't Take My Eyes Off You?" This song was one of the biggest solo hits for Frankie Valli (born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio), and is a perennial crowd-pleaser wherever and whenever it is performed. Legend has it that the song almost didn't make it on the radio at all, until one program director at a Windsor, Ontario radio station decided to take a chance on it. He added the song to the playlist, the switchboards lit up, and a massive, enduring hit song was born! I'm so thrilled to be joined by the amazing horn section on this song (playing Pete Spina's fantastic orchestrations); it just wouldn't be the same without them!

20. Tu Vuo Fa’ L’Americano Tu Vuo Fa’ L’Americano

It was around 1 a.m. on Saturday night/Sunday morning at a hotel in Milwaukee, I had just returned after performing the 11 p.m. Saturday night show at Festa Italiana, and I had another show at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. My husband, Jimmy, and I were enjoying a nightcap at the hotel restaurant when one of the other Festa Italiana performers wandered in and asked us why we weren't hanging out in the lobby with all of the other performers. Well, we followed him to the lobby and were greeted by an enthusiastic chorus of singers, accordion players, and mandolin players! Everyone was singing and dancing and clapping along, and we were immediately welcomed into the fold! The next song up was "Tu Vuo' Fa' L'Americano," and the raucous, silly, energetic rendition that unfolded that night turned out to be my favorite version of that song I'd ever heard! When we decided to put that song on this album, we wanted to try to capture, for lack of a better term, the "spirit of Milwaukee," that carefree, zany energy that made that song so special that night…I hope all of you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it!

21. Torna A Surriento (Remix) Torna A Surriento (Remix)

* Bonus Track
The childhood best friend of my husband Jimmy is a man named Tommy Byrnes, who also happens to be a phenomenal guitar player. He has been playing with Billy Joel since 1990, and has played with numerous other rock stars and legends. When we were starting to put together this album, we asked Tommy if he'd be willing to do a guitar solo for us, and he said he'd love to, especially if it was on one of those "old, romantic Italian songs." So, we thought "Torna A Surriento" would be the perfect place to include a wailing guitar solo. Our original intent was just to do a traditional version of the song, with the rock guitar solo in the middle, which would have been a really cool take on the song; however, when Tommy heard the track, he was inspired to try something a little different. He asked us if we could send him just my vocal, and within a few weeks, he and his talented son, TJ, had come up with this haunting new arrangement of the song (which Jimmy thinks sounds like a James Bond theme song)! We fell in love with it instantly; we hope you do, too!

Buy the CD

More Amore sells for $15 plus $5 for S&H.
You can choose to have the CD signed by Jenna if you wish.

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