Dan Sinasac - Burnt Piano

Dan Lyn Studios

www.dansinasac.com

There is a case to be made for the benefits derived from gargling with broken glass and razor blades. Exhibit A-Dan Sinisac. His voice ranges from a tad smoother Tom Waits to a less spastic sounding Joe Cocker. It sure works within his framework of all original R&B that takes chances. And oh those herky-jerky horn arrangements! Dan also plays Hammond B3 organ and/or piano on most tracks and producing as well as writing all the songs. He was raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada absorbing the sounds of Motown, across the river. He paid his dues in the blues project Jack Shadow.

His raspy vocals and dramatic delivery blend in well with the interesting horn arrangement on “Tow The Line”. “Her Spell” recounts being mesmerized by feminine charms. It also includes some nifty rock guitar. “Born With A Heartache” packs a horn-fueled punch reminiscent of Blood, Sweat & Tears.

“Wonderin’” eschews the horns in favor of a melody carried by guitars that sound like they were supplied by Jeff Beck and David Gilmour in an aching melancholy approach. Girl vocals and guitar fill in the spaces left by the missing horns on “When My Heart Breaks” as the Joe Cocker similarity comes in the vocal. The dramatic tension builds up in “For Goodness Sake”, leading up to Robert Walsh’s slide guitar workout. Dan offers up some nice late night piano on “Honeybee” a slow tender ballad again with a Cocker-ish vibe. The title track starts off as a ringer for the piano part of Eric Clapton’s “Layla”. It’s just Dan at his piano pouring his heart out.

This R&B offering has creativity and imagination written all over it. He takes the best parts of his favorite music and rearranges them into something refreshing and familiar at the same time. He isn’t afraid to interject some soaring fusion guitar soloing into an R&B song. Every aspect of the music is in the right place at the right time. The female vocals serve a vital purpose, rather than just being used for window dressing. He wrings every ounce of emotion out of his weather-beaten voice. This is a fully realized project.