If 103.7 FM The Mountain hadn't changed to the Top 40 crap, I'd totally send them a copy of Joe Rosati's new CD, The Candelabra Light, because it would fit in perfectly with Leonard Cohen, The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen. Also because the recordings are perfectly raw and engineered to capture Rosati's true spirit and emotion.
The Tacoma native, who now resides in Park City, Utah, first picked up a guitar when he was 19. After hanging with The Fabulous Wailers, who used to tell him that "Tacoma is the Liverpool of the Northwest" because it's a blue-collar town on the water, he found his comfort in rhythm-style guitar.
"I loved 'Temptation' by New Order - when I could strum along with that song - that was a defining moment for me," Rosati said.
It wasn't long after, when he was sitting on his porch playing his guitar, that a soon-to-be band mate came up and started singing along. Together, they formed the band Isaac Purrs, (yes, it was named after a cat).
After a few years playing gigs, they were ready for the next step. But the day before they were scheduled to record, his band mate quit.
"I still went in and spoke the words," reminisced Rosati. "But after that, everything fell apart."
Since then, Rosati worked as a booker for Harmon, ran the Shoboat in Ruston and had a stint acting in college, where his original musical score for the movie A Perfect Life won a gold medal at the Park City Film Festival.
During those times, life was financially rough. Despite winning the award, his music wasn't quite where he wanted it to be.
That's when The Candelabra Light was born. With the support of friends and family (a few songs were recorded in his parent's living room, some in Urban Grace Church), his vision came to fruition.
The result is a beautifully mastered (by Ben Fuller of China Davis), raw, emotional collection of songs that are truly moving and inspiring. The stripped-down guitar and heartfelt lyrics are easy to listen to, the emotion in his voice as good as the gets.
"There's a reason it's acoustic," explained Rosati. "It's because its real and emotional - it's a pretty naked place to be - if the song structure and vocals don't cut it, you don't have a song - if it doesn't sound good on an acoustic guitar, it's not going to sound good at all."
Hear for yourself Wednesday at Jazzbones or at Rosati's CD release party Nov. 27 at The Spar.
JOE ROSATI, with China Davis, 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, no cover, 253.396.9169
JOE ROSATI CD RELEASE PARTY, w/China Davis, 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 27, The Spar, 2121 N. 30th St., Tacoma, no cover, 253.627.8215
JOE ROSATI DOES SEATTLE, 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, The High Dive, 513 N. 36th, Seattle, no cover, 206.632.0212