A compilation growing in popularity lately is Island Vibes–The Nantucket Music Collection. Island Vibes features music recorded by artists from Nantucket and or inspired by Nantucket or chosen because of a connection to the island. Half of these tracks were recorded and produced by Nantucket natives Victor Ferrantella and his father Nick Ferrantella with Victor’s brother Ben playing on some songs. The rest of the collection comes from other native producers, engineers, musicians, singers and, of course, those with a connection to Nantucket.
Island Vibes opens with a recording that local musician David Law made of a Boz Scaggs song titled “Fall In Love.” The tune finds Law using his keyboards and samples to recreate the bouncy joy of the original, creating a danceable number that glows with familiarity. It will remind you of “Lowdown.”
Next up is “Train Wreck” by The Bold Type, an oldies influenced danceable rocker with an infectious groove and a really cool melodica blowing a horn whistle line. There’s actually a lot of instrumentation going on in this song that will make listeners like it.
Then, a few local musicians offer their rendition of Billy Joel’s “Downeaster Alexa,” an acoustic instrument with Jacob Anthony Butler playing acoustic guitar, cello, and viola while Erik Wendelken bows his bass and Victor Ferrantella plays percussion, the three really reaching into the heart of the song with this mellower version.
Things suddenly take a turn toward reggae with “One Day” by Burnt Tuna. Colin Leske plays a rhythmically brisk guitar riff before taking a flight of fancy with a freewheeling lead guitar phrase.
A classic rock inspired song, “The Beach” by Frank and Dane DeCarlo, unfurls a feisty electric guitar phrase that reminds of all those great guitarists from the late 1960s to the early 1970s.
Suddenly, the listener is immersed in old world charm, courtesy of the accordion laced “Warren’s Landing,” performed by Coq au Vin. Acoustic guitars and bass join in to form a festive gypsy dance feeling. You might want to swing your partner round and round and round before this carnival caravan moves on to its next stop.
Country music styles flourish in The ShepCats’ take on Hank Williams Sr.’s “Mind Your Own Business.” A warm acoustic guitar strum keeps good company with an edgy electric country twang and moseying bass line. The flippant chorus line is also a plus, as its full of laid back attitude.
If “When I Fall In Love” feels like a 1960s pop ballad, it’s because it is a 1960s pop ballad. Felix Pappalardi, who had produced albums by Cream and The Youngbloods, and Joan Baez, pushes all the right buttons and turns all the right knobs, creating a ballooning sound with multiple textures, all ear candy that just makes the listener happy to follow along. Pappalardi’s connection to Island Vibes might not be as obvious as others. Co-compiler Nick Ferrantella worked in the national music industry back in the 1960s and 1970s. His work included stints the road manager for Mountain and then Foreigner, hence the connection to Pappalardi.
“Kind Soul,” by Victor Ferrantella, has a Bruce Springsteen feel in the vocal delivery and the basic rock approach of guitar, bass, drums, organ, and piano. Ferrantella, here, has a quirky, earthy voice that makes his lyrical introspection so authentic. The musicians around him also sound cool, especially Tom Stoddart’s saxophone wailing.
“Vertical Hold” recorded by Geronimo Atwater is reminiscent of early Pink Floyd in its lyrical quirks. Chirpy lead vocals lend themselves well to this song that name checks everyone from Captain Kirk to Mike Brady. Its guitar line emerges with friendly pluck and skips coolly around the beat. It’s just a winsome tune based on rock idioms from previous decades.
Susan J. Berman offers her song “This Old Mill” for a nice singer-songwriter addition to this collection. She sings with a heartfelt sincerity that cannot be beat, making her old mill on the hill appear before the listener’s imagination like a real place each time she sustains a key lyric. Victor Ferrantella plays a sweetly haunting flute melody that perfectly supports the feeling of this song.
“Walking With Another Man” by Vaughan Machado is a fine ballad of love lost, sung in the tradition of country and western, with pedal steel and sorrowful, contemplative vocalizing. It sounds like the material Elvis Presley recorded in the mid to late 1970s due to its personal theme and large country sound.
Blues music abounds in the down low “Steamship Whistle” by Timbukblues. Tom Stoddart’s harmonica moves its way around a primitive beat while Chuck Colley delivers the vocal with a deeply felt emotion. Like all good blues, it never gets bombastic in its delivery. It just drops the anchor down deep into the human heart to let it speak for itself.
Showing that the island also has sophisticated music, jazz flows from the stereo speakers when “Vertigo” by Opus 3 Jazz Trio erupts, offering numerous rivulets of instrumental progression. Their drummer makes his way speedily around the number while their bassist rapidly plucks many palpable notes in quick succession. Elegant, sophisticated piano work sparkles above the rhythm track, making the whole thing shine.
DJ Peter Ahern offers a sexy hip hop number titled “Peter Ahern DJ Mix.” A dance beat maintains hypnotic persistence while a female vocalist lowly moans and coos in the backdrop. This would definitely play well in any dance club.
“Rolling River” by Jessica Campbell Pykosz rolls in on the organ sweeps played by Victor Ferrantella. Acoustic guitars and honky tonky attitude coming from that organ form a mournful country and western vibe. Campbell-Pykosz’s lilting, earthy vocal make a huge impression with their unaffected expression of her emotionally honest lyrics.
Named after a 1969 war movie starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastward, “Where Eagles Dare” soars high on the strength of Tony Lee Thomas’s lead guitar flight of fancy. Recorded by Thomas and Boys With Toys, this original has a clean sound that lets the song breathe. From its initial build up to the climactic finale, “Where Eagles Dare” is a wide sweeping range of nuanced tuneage.
Amy England performs her country and western tune “The Wave” from her Nantucket To Nashville album. Her pristine vocal and Andy Leftwich’s fiddle mosey along a pretty path, both offering emotive inflection and fine musical skill. Wrapped warmly in acoustic guitars, this song build a homey atmosphere that makes one want to visit often.
Spy Girls contribute their tune “Superman’s Daughter,” a lively pop-rocker that could find a home on any 1980s turntable. It smacks of beach parties, dancing, drag races and every fun summertime activity of youth.
“Ship In A Bottle” by Jacob Williams closes out Disc One of the Island Vibes collection. Its 1960s R&B vibe is all hand-clapping, rhythmic fun that could make anybody want to dance, sing along, or just listening to the band while downing a few beers.
Disc two begins with “Gone Like Yesterday,” a splendid mesh of acoustic and electric guitar work and Janette Vohs’s sweet vocal croon. Eventually, the song turns into a belting rocker for Vohs and a rippling guitar fest for JakeVohs, a spirited number with true power.
“Black Prius by Potential Hammock is a jittery dance rocker. It surf influenced guitar riffs and concise rhythm section will remind all listeners of the endless summer. Its energy is boundless, endless. It makes you feel like you can dance and twist to it for all time.
“Donna Do You Wanna” by Rick Kalman is a more modern style rocker. Nick Ferrantella’s breezy organ sweep and Greyson Keller’s lead guitar phrasing add plenty of icing to the cake, baked well with Kalman’s winsome, mild timbre.
“Wanderlust” is a pleasant acoustic guitar-pedal steel mash up by Mak Wolven. This is as breezy as a slight wind on a warm summer day and just as welcome. It’s a real treat for the ears to hear these pedal steel notes drift off into time and space, their overtones still ringing warmly in the air long after they’re picked.
“Jupiter” is excerpted from a rock opera called Playing God, Music From The Text. Featuring Eric Schenkman from The Spin Doctors on lead guitar, this fiercely played rocker contains enough quirks and talent to keep it interesting, very interesting.
Robert VanArsdale’s “Empty Seashells” has an engaging slide guitar phrase courtesy of Andy Santospago. It’s hard to pigeonhole this song into any one particular category. It’s got shades of country, rock colors and tones, and it feels like a lonesome cowboy song from the old rodeo shows, the kind our generation can only experience through recordings and videos. The vocal is full of old timey sincerity that you feel you’re listening to a recording that today’s engineers went back in time to record.
“We’ve Got A Love” by Erik Wendelken offers plenty of gritty notes in its acoustic guitars, mandolin, and harmonica. Listeners get a good chunk of Americana flavors as this playful tune seems to layer itself with these pure sounding acoustic instruments. Wholesome vocal work from Wendelken, his wife Lisa, and Chuck Colley ladle it with another layer of gravy, their voices intertwined with warm and skill.
Renowned producer Floyd Kellogg contributes “Taking Up My Planet” from the You Scream I Scream’s album titled Zookeeper. This modern, new wave number with a pushy guitar line(or what sounds like a guitar line) boasts a clean sound, clever drum timing, and experimental keyboard and synth work. It is irresistibly different.
“Constantly,” by Sweetmeat And The Silverfish, is a tender piano rock ballad. Victor Ferrantella plays sparkly little piano notes before whipping up a second melody line on his synthesizer. Boy, does that synth line take some interesting twists and turns as it glides with majestic ease over a rhythm section. Michael Stafanski’s vocal timbre and application is another treat here, making the listener feel the emotion of the song.
Buzz Williams’ contribution is a solo acoustic guitar instrumental titled “Terminal Boogie” from his Expressions album. Williams moves his acoustic guitar notes along with beauty and accuracy. Each one of those little notes he picks is an individual expression of something important to this composer. One can feel how much he puts across with his picking style and his perfectly accented notes.
“Goodbye Monday Blues” by Ben Murphy is a lyrical description of one’s southern homeland. Served up with tasty banjo, dobro, mandolin, acoustic guitar blues slide, and a voice full of nostalgic longing, this makes one long for a quieter small town life, sitting on the front porch picking and jamming with old friends.
“Music Of The Spheres” by Kerry Hallam finds Hallam crooning handsomely, His hearty vocal makes a splendid contrast with gently picked guitars beneath his voice, each bringing out the beauty in the other. Hallam’s steadfast seriousness, depth of feeling, and lyrical introspection give this ditty a special quality. That lightly picked electric guitar twang makes a beauty of a melody line.
Jamie Howarth plays “16 At Miacomet” with guitar, Rhodes, and drum programming. Throw in some steel guitar by Dave Provost and drum samples by Jeff Carlson, and we have a carefully considered soundscape constructed by brittle lines of melody, low end, and electronic percussion. Howarth takes the listener away to another place and time with some electric six sting flourishes, tender artistic touches that color this piece well.
“Little Things” by Russell Wieland finds this keyboardist-vocalist cooing, harmonizing with a lush vocal line while tapping out quiet piano notes that give his voice space to breathe. He also comes up with an engaging guitar phrase that rides out the song with a growing sense of mystery.
The Flanagans are on board with their recording of a traditional folk song dating back to the 1600s. “The Water Is Wide” is dominated by the trio’s lush harmony vocals, breathing new life into this old world ditty. Acapella, their voices wrap around each other’s in warm twist of emotional and musical depth.
“Hallelujah Yeah” by Mark Barrett chugs along on the power of Barrett’s acoustic 12-string strum. Bobby Maguire’s fiddle is icing on the cake too. Its sweet melody lines play in springy motion in the backdrop while Barrett finesses his lyrics with a voice that flows with a gentle, hip smoothness.
“Darlin,’” from the soundtrack to John Stanton’s film Last Call, rolls forward an oldies rock and roll charm. Crooner Robert VanArsdale infuses it with class. His timbre and falsetto give this song character and richness while the backing band play something that would pull dozens of couples onto the floor at their local dancehall.
Billy Voss’s “What You Gonna Do(DJ Mix) is an electronic dance music trance mood piece. This tune oozes with sex appeal and it’s sure to have fans of this genre moving their feet and shaking their booties. A breathy female singer and hypnotic music suggest something beyond the platonic.
“Cinnamon” by Blue Plate Special is an electric guitar driven instrumental complete with intriguing intervals of notes contained within a single melodic phrase. Six string edginess is held up by bracing, rumbling low end structure and palpably limber drumming. Tim Pitts composed and plays guitar on this excursion into explorative, progressive rock.
Side two of Island Vibes closes out with Tom & Kim’s DJ Mix of “Don’t Stop, Funk & Filou Surfside Sunset.” Perhaps this is the compiler’s way of getting everybody dancing as the two disc set closes out. Cascading keyboard lines and electronic percussion keeps this music engaging, invigorating, and motion packed. This one makes you want to move your shoulders, hips, and feet all at once.
Island Vibes–The Nantucket Music Collection–certainly contains a vast array of what the island offers, has offered, and what it has inspired musicians around the world to do with their music. It’s a fun, quirky mix of genres that can be enjoyed in one setting. A genre hopping mess, this collection has a way of being mind and ear opening, making it a good kind of mess. Well done.
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