Johnny Angel, More (Deuce Records)

Johnny Angel More Album Cover

It’s Johnny Angel’s name on the marquee, but the stars of More are really the backing band, particularly Jeff Greenberg’s impeccability at the ivories and Tom Fischer’s tenor sax lines. And Johnny Angel delivers classics like “All of Me” and “That’s Amore” with showbiz enthusiasm, but not with quite the gusto and resonance that makes me want to reach for his version over the originals. The band’s punchy run through “Quando, Quando, Quando,” a hit for Pat Boone in 1962, is a joy, begging for a big voice to accompany it. I’m not saying Johnny Angel can’t deliver the goods. “Race for the Devil,” with Angel awash in rockabilly slap echo along Bruce Tyner’s tasty guitar, is a piece of retro wizardry. It’s just that More left me asking for, well…