“James Dean is still alive.”
At least that’s what Richie Scarlet sings in the song “Rebel Boy,” a rock ‘n’ roll tribute to the young actor who died at the age of 24. It’s the first track on Scarlet’s new album, “Wise Guy from New York,” on Axis Records.
Like the actor who inspired a generation to live on the edge, Scarlet is a rebel at heart, and that uninhibited side of him can be heard in his music.
Scarlet explains where that untamed sound comes from. “Jimi Hendrix was my main musical inspiration” said the New York native. “Even to this day, the man still fascinates me. He’s just in a league all his own his showmanship, his lyrics, his whole vibe, his charisma as well as his playing. I try to tap a little bit into that inspiration and convey it to what I’m doing today.
“I also love that really wild rock ‘n’ roll and old rockabilly music like Elvis, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran played. So, I’m basically a mutt of all of those people’s styles stewed into one. You stir it all in a pot and it comes out Richie Scarlet.”
Born in 1957, in Katoah, N.Y., a little town about 40 minutes north of New York City, Scarlet says his mother delivered him at home with the help of his sister because there was no hospital nearby.
Fourteen years later, like many teenage boys who pick up a Gibson or a Fender and plug it in to release some of that adolescent testosterone, Scarlet turned to music to satisfy his emotions. He began teaching himself how to play drums, then the guitar, then keyboards eventually learning how to play 11 different instruments.
Besides the attraction of plugging in and turning it up, he recalls, “It was also a great way to pick up girls.” Although he no longer uses his music to meet girls (he married his girlfriend, Joann, in Las Vegas in 1994), he’s driven by the emotion and the volume of playing live and feels at home on the stage.
Even though Scarlet’s produced a lot of acts over the years, he’s also toured with Leslie West of Mountain and Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley almost nonstop since 1989, but just the mention of another tour unleashes excitement in his voice.
“I’m ready for another one,” he smiles as his voice risess up in pitch. “I can only sit around for about a month or two and I start to climb walls. I’m just used to life on the road. I love to produce, but it’s a whole different animal playing live.”
Scarlet plans to kick off a U.S. tour in support of Wise Guy sometime in May. Joining him on stage will be Larry Fisher on bass and Steve Werner on drums.
Both Fisher and Werner play on the new album, along with guest appearances by bassists John Regan (of Frehley’s Comet) and Kenny Aaronson, Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach, drummer Anton Fig (of David Letterman’s Band), and longtime studio drummer Bobby Chouinard, who died last month.
“(Chouinard’s death) was a big loss to the music community in New York City because he was a part of that for many years. He was a great guy, and was well loved by everybody,” Scarlet said.
Chouinard’s usual in-the-pocket skin pounding gives the bluesy ballad “Wounded Heart” its rock flavor that makes it one of the strongest songs on the album.
Following along the blues trail is the seductive groove of “Eastbound Train” and “I Can’t Wait Much Longer,” a powerful, hypnotic ballad highlighted by Scarlet’s armed and dangerous guitar solo.
Although “Wise Guy from New York” has a few blues inspired songs on it, it’s not a blues album. It’s a rock album mixed with some groovin’ ballads, laced with a little punk and finished off with a hauntingly cool instrumental titled “El Figaro.”
When asked about the diverse personality of the album, Scarlet replied, “I was fortunate not to have a producer to try to change me or make me sound like the latest thing that’s happening this week. So, I basically kept to my roots.
“Instead of trying to be hip and trying to stay on what’s happening today, I just went with my gut feelings and played where my heart really was,” he said.
In an era that seems like rock is dead, Scarlet brings rock and its predecessor, the blues, back to life with lethal guitar playing, a howling whiskey-tenor voice and a combination of songs reminiscent of the days when rock was a wild and fun expression of youth.
Scarlet summed it up best by saying, “Things that used to be counterculture or have some sort of danger to them are no longer there. So, I try to at least keep some of that danger in my music so parents don’t like it and all that thing that rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to be.”
