Chicago-based vocalist Paul Marinaro sings with strength, flexibility and maturity on his Not Quite Yet album that explores eternal themes of love, life, longing and discovery. With a voice that is both recognizable and appealing, Marinaro presents songs ranging from Mel Torme’s “Born To Be Blue” and Stephen Sondheim’s “I Remember” to David Bowie’s “No Plan” and “5:15 The Angels Have Gone.” Guitarist Mike Allemana wrote the arrangements that Marinaro sings with refined precision, investing the lyrics with warmth and confidence. An affectionate dreamy croon in Jobim’s “Someone to Light Up My Life” and Jerome Kern’s “Remind Me” sit nicely alongside more up-tempo, swinging moments on the album such as “On a Wonderful Day Like Today.”  In addition to guitarist Allemana, the other core ensemble members are pianist Tom Vaitsas, bassist John Tate, and drummer George Fludas.

Six tracks include a stellar horn section, seven are presented with accompaniment by the Kaia String Quartet, and two ballads (“Remind Me” and “I Remember”) are given lean arrangements with only Allemana’s guitar. Both the horns and strings are layered into an ecstatic rendition of “Taking a Chance on Love.” Co-penned with Ary Barroso, Marinaro’s composition “Searching (E Luxo So)” reinforces the project’s thematic search for deeper meaning while currently in the “not quite yet,” a place without a plan. Jim Gailloreto’s flute is a beautifully breezy complement to this track. The album’s title Not Quite Yet comes from “No Plan,” the haunting, hypnotic David Bowie tune on his posthumously released EP. Marinaro embraces the lyrics, “All the things that are my life, My moods, my beliefs, my desires. Me alone. Nothing to regret. This is no place, but here I am. This is not quite yet.” Besides being a thoughtful response to the pandemic, it also reflects on the singer’s personal and professional challenges.      

An artist of amazing talent, vocalist Paul Marinaro can be quite sophisticated on numbers like “invitation” and “No One Ever Tells You,” as well as effervescent on “The Island” and “Make Me Rainbows.” Not Quite Yet is a sweet and irresistible outing from Paul Marinaro. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)