DC Larson's JUKEBOX JURY

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Rob Stoner

s/t

(Distributor: CDX Records)

Don McLean's 1971 radio staple "American Pie?" Rob was there. Later Robert Gordon and Bob Dylan recordings and road travels? Again, Rob was featured. Space constraints preclude exhaustive cataloging of many other high-visibility credits.

As this author's late guitarist brother Rick phrased it, Rob epitomizes music's backbone - players who don't adorn magazine spreads, but whose blue-ribbon capacities and indefatigable strivings make marquee personages sound so good.

This is Rob's third solo endeavor. (It follows 1980's Patriotic Duty and 1983's Sun Studios-waxed If You Want It Enough.) His personal compositions offer melodies and clever lyricism of executive bearing.

"Choo Choo Choo," "Let Daddy Drive," and "Your Own Heartbeat" were first glimpsed on Patriotic Duty. They rise as impressive, as do "Almost Like Being in Love," and "If I Get Home on Christmas Day."

Aside from individual smoothness, though, Rob has undertaken tony reiterations of American Pop's finest, the results being of sterling stock.

Microphone legends referenced include Ol' Blue Eyes, Guy Lombardo, Nat King Cole, Martini-swilling Deano, Vaughn Monroe, and Bing Crosby. (Nor are the King of Rock'n'Roll and the Wink Troubadour overlooked.)

Unfurled are swinging tunes that, during post WWII evenings, were background for night-spot lotharios long-legging their ways toward victory-rolled pulchritude. Falling in beside are more crisp romps that acquit themselves just as rewardingly.

It goes without remark that top-drawer melody/poetry partnerships demand vocal gifts their equal. The starring maestro is suited to the calling, finding no strain elusive, no note beyond grasp. Lush instrumentation flows determinedly; boldly present are guitar pacings, rhythm enforcers, sublime strings, and brass elegance straight from the fridge. Production sensitivity portrays all in beribboned majesty.

Grand Big Band material resurrected include jolly airs ("Winter Wonderland," "Santa Claus is Coming To Town") and romantic intimacies that doubtlessly led elder generations to produce successive ones. ("Fly Me To the Moon" and "You Make Me Feel So Young" are but two of that fashion.)

Like the man said, everything old is new again.

Recommended: "Fly Me To the Moon," "Street of Dreams," "You Make Me Feel So Young, "Almost Like Being in Love," "Should I Ever Love Again," "Winter Wonderland," "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me," "Let It Snow," "If I Get Home on Christmas Day," "Seven Days," "Choo Choo Choo," "Let Daddy Drive," "Your Own Heartbeat," "It's Now or Never," "Oh Pretty Woman," "Viva Las Vegas," "Surrender," "Hurt," "Follow That Dream"

Videos: "Fly Me To the Moon" "Street of Dreams" "You Make Me Feel So Young" "Winter Wonderland" "Let It Snow" "If I Get Home on Christmas Day" "Choo Choo Choo" "Let Daddy Drive"