Album Notes

by Ray Benson - Asleep at the Wheel

Gino Pistilli! It sounds like the star of a spaghetti western or a character on The Sopranos. Or maybe a New York cowboy in Nashville, feeding the hit makin' machinery of the country music business. Well, he's all of that and much, much more!

If he were only one of the founders of The Manhattan Transfer it would have been enough to impress me. If he only had written a number one tune for Randy Travis, "Too Gone Too Long," he would have impressed me. But he has written dozens of great songs, sings in a smooth smokey baritone that resonates like a cool breeze and keeps the tradition of great songsmithing in good stead with his original, yet familiar, tunes.

So enjoy this CD (unless ya got it on 8 track) and imagine, if you will, Gino's tattooed hands playing notes outta his guitar, singin' thru a haze of cigarette smoke and riding off into the sunset in a yellow cab with A SET OF TEXAS LONG HORNS on the hood! Muchos gracias amigo, me gusto mucho mas!

Austin, TX 2003

NOTES FROM THE ARTIST
My love for swing music was handed down to me from my folks. From Count Basie to Spade Cooley, they liked it all as long as it swung. They were big Hank Williams, Sr. fans and if you listen close, beneath those unforgettable lyrics and melodies, all his songs had a sweet little swing to them. This swing thing led me to become on of the original members of the Manhattan Transfer. They veered off into modern jazz and I went after Bob Wills and I've been chasing him ever since.

Gene Pistilli