Thirty years ago, Joe Cocker and Sass Jordan recorded “Trust In Me,” a song written by Francesca Beghe, Charlie Midnight, and Marc Swersky. The song highlighted the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, the bestselling soundtrack of all time.
Now, singer-songwriter Francesca Beghe introduces her new album, Francesca Beghe Live, which was recorded live in 2019 and 2020. The album documents Francesca’s first performance in over a decade and her first full band show in more than 20 years.
Francesca explains, “The performances for this album were magical. Onstage, we were seven musicians just channeling as one entity. It felt like I was back at home, but with nothing to prove. These days I have no agenda. I just want to make music and share this beautiful thing.”
The band, a veritable who’s who of musicians, includes Tony Garnier (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Waits), Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Sarah McLachlan), Marc Shulman (Suzanne Vega, Celine Dion, Chris Botti), Daniel A Weiss (Joan Osborne, Al Green, Anthony Rapp), Zev Katz (Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor), Diane Garisto (Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Laura Nyro), and Emily Bindiger (Carol King, Leonard Cohen, Buster Poindexter).
Francesca Beghe Live embraces not only “Trust In Me,” but embraces songs from her self-titled debut album and her 2006 collection, Dreamworld, as well as Francesca’s interpretation of “No Use Talkin’,” co-written with Cindy Bullens, which was featured in the movie Double Jeopardy, starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones.
When her self-titled album was released, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and People Magazine gave the album vast applause. VH1 named her Artist of the Month. She performed on The Tonight Show and toured with Michael Bolton.
Francesca started out in Manhattan, during the ‘80s, where she confirmed her talents as a singer, performer, and pianist. After a stint fronting a band, she went solo, releasing “Trust In Me,” which caught the attention of EMI Publishing and landed her a deal with SBK/EMI. Originally recorded by Joe Cocker on his album, Unchain My Heart, producer and movie star Kevin Costner wanted the song on the soundtrack for The Bodyguard. Including mega-hits by Whitney Houston, the soundtrack held the top spot on Billboard for five months.
Encompassing 14-tracks, entry points on Francesca Beghe Live include “Enlightenment,” a rolling, creamy soul-filled song highlighting Francesca’s deliciously nuanced voice. Brimming with funk-lite savors of blues, “No Use Talking’” features almost gospel-like harmonies emphasizing Francesca’s evocative voice. A dazzling, controlled guitar imbues the tune with sleazy colors.
Opening on shimmering textures, “Dreamworld” flows into silky-smooth washes of misty hues topped by Francesca’s lush timbres, rife with cashmere tones. For some reason, this track conjures up suggestions of Fleetwood Mac backing Sade.
A personal favorite, “Requiem” demonstrates the luscious range and sumptuous flavors of Francesca’s deluxe voice. Whereas Francesca’s version of “Trust In Me” merges aromas of rock, pop, and hints of country rock into an upbeat tune teeming with swaggering energy.
Simmering with scrumptious gospel tangs, “Let Your Spirit Fly” allows Francesca to display the vibrant poignancy of her crème de la crème voice. “One World” oozes thick layers of gilded blues as Francesca’s voice bends on soul-drenched tones. The guitar on this track exudes impressive licks, invoking the prowling feel of B.B. King.
Wow! Francesca Beghe has it going on! Cultivating verve and balanced on swanky harmonics, Francesca Beghe Live hits the sweet spot.
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