Longtime Buffalo music veteran Jessie Galante is back with a new CD titled Candy Jar and proves no one is going to take her title of  “Buffalo’s First Lady of Rock” anytime soon.
     Having honed her craft for years on the Buffalo and L.A. music scenes, she is back with her first CD -- since 1997’s Gesua. That album consisted of songs sung in Italian (Gesua being her Sicilian birth name).
     Even though there are three songs on Candy Jar done in Italian, all of the tracks are more in the rock style of her earlier bands like Actor. That band achieved a cult-like following and even scored the hit, “Checkin’ Out.”
    On Candy Jar, Ms. Galante rocks out on every thing  from Led Zeppelin to Janis Joplin to jazz stylings  and originals. The diversity of this material shows her voice, reminiscent of Tina Turner or Dale Krantz of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, to be in fine form. Her husky voice is able to go from a growl to a purr effortlessly. 
     Lending a hand are Grant Geissman on guitar, bass, keys, percussion and programming.  Also appearing are Guiseppe and Carmelo Galante on horns and Buffalo’s own Bobby Militello on saxophone.
     Larry Swist and Jerry Meyers, who nurtured Michael Civisca’s early career, produced the CD for Rhapsody Music.
     The disc starts with the Willie Dixon/Led Zeppelin classic “Whole Lotta Love” that has been redone in a remix style with drum loops and other programming quirks. “Slow Down,” an original is next and continues in the rock vein. “At Last” changes tempo and moods as Ms. Galante does a soulful jazzy take of the song. A couple more originals and a cover of Janis Joplin’s  “Kosmic Blues” follow. The CD closes with the aforementioned Italian songs. These however, are not the kind of Italian songs my grandmother played while making sauce on Sunday morning! All three tracks rock. 
      Ms. Galante has proven you need not compromise on your music by releasing a CD that is closer to her heart than the bottom line. For more information on Jesse Galante or how to get this CD check out her website at www.greedysongbird.com