CARLO DITTA HUNGRY FOR LOVE ORLEANS RECORDS ORL 2919
HUNGRY FOR LOVE | A GYPSY WOMAN TOLD ME | LA MUCHACHA CHA CHA | AGNES ENGLISH | WORKING SO HARD FOR MY BABY’S LOVE | PASS THE HATCHET | LIFE IN HEAVEN | I’M HERE TO GET MY BABY OUT OF JAIL | IT’S UP TO YOU | THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN
Carlo Ditta is a renowned label owner, producer, composer, and recording artist in his own right. He is also a philanthropic individual, always willing to record and further the careers of many perhaps lesser-known artists who strive to maintain the authenticity of the vintage sounds of New Orleans, the city and region they all call home.
That is precisely the vibe of Carlo’s second solo outing, entitled “Hungry For Love,” for his own Orleans Records label. Of the ten cuts, two are traditional tunes done up with Carlo’s unique arrangements, three are covers of songs synonymous with some of New Orleans’ famed artists, and five are Carlo’s originals done with the soulful heritage of the Big Easy always in mind.
There are several highlights, fans. Earl Stanley wrote the Sixties’ pop hit, “A Gypsy Woman Told Me,” and plays bass on this version, over Carlo’s lovelorn vocal and Rick Stelma’s organ. Carlo checks in with one of our favorites, the cool Latin groove of the story of that lady, who, “if you wanna play, you got to pay,” “La Muchacha Cha Cha!” The fellows do a fantastic job covering Baton Rouge artists John Fred And The Playboys hit, “Agnes English,” and, yep, Andrew Bernard, who wrote the song as part of that band back in the day, appears here on both tenor sax and Wurlitzer! “Pass The Hatchet,” another of our favorites, is a Carlo original that rides a funky sax-guitar groove, over Carlo’s spoken-word vocal, as he watches a pretty girl from a distance! He closes the set with our final favorite, an organ and sax-heavy arrangement done over Carlo’s raspy vocal, decrying a misspent youth at that iconic place of ill repute, “The House Of The Rising Sun!”
Carlo Ditta is a champion of many veteran artists that perhaps history has overlooked. He brings together many of these storied players and their material mixed in with his own clever originals to produce a set that is sho’ nuff “Hungry For Love!” Until next time…
--- Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.