Singer/songwriter and part-time Bitterrooter Chris Bianco is back with his 14th CD. It’s inventive for a romance album: he’s got original songs for an entire wedding celebration, from prelude to ceremony, to bride/father dance and beyond. He calls it “wedding, engagement and proposal party music.”
The self-styled “traveling troubadour,” who winters on the Pacific coast, has a nifty media packet that’s tied to the album as well.
Bianco has suggestions for each part of the ceremony, offering covers of classic folk, pop and rock songs for alternates. And there’s a line in his brochure where you can jot down your preferences. Many couples get stressed over planning details, and this idea seems tailor-made to make worry evaporate.
For the vow portion, Bianco warbles “Yes, I Do,“ a soft-rock song with a quiet bass line and acoustic chords. He contributes “Fly Away with You,” with its syncopated whiffs of America, for the recessional. He doubles his mid-baritone voice in places, a Bianco trademark, and is also fond of using wah-wah guitar effects.
For the cocktail hour, there’s “Sweatshirts and Old Blue Jeans,” a toe-tapper with a ‘70s feel, and “Soft Touch,” with Latin-rock nuances and a distinctive bass line. He scats some too.
The hip-shakin’ bouquet toss finds Bianco singing some lyrics and speaking others on “Bridesmaid’s Boogie,” in the voice of a best man who is smitten with a bridesmaid. Here he uses lots of vocal inflections insinuating the arc of the thrown bouquet, a clever touch.
Visit him at chris-bianco-music.com.
– Mariss McTucker