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“I don’t do ‘covers,’ I reinterpret songs.  If I can’t put my own spin on something, I won’t do it...”
Without question, popular performer Frank Shiner (winner of two L.A. Music Critic Awards) has demonstrated his finely-honed ability to put his own unique stamp on classic material previously recorded by others via his sophomore album, LONELY TOWN, LONELY STREET.  Turning in stellar performances on songs popularized by such artists as The Rascals, Brook Benton, Sam & Dave, Elton John and Bill Withers, Frank has created a tour-de-force collection of twelve songs from the songbooks of legendary writers such as Randy Newman, Doc Pomus, Isaac Hayes & David Porter and Tony Joe White among others. 
“I decided to do ‘blue-eyed soul’ for my second album,” explains the New York resident, "I’ve always been intrigued by and loved the genre which has really morphed into including artists like my heroes Hall & Oates, Amy Winehouse and others..”
Indeed, with his latest album, Frank can most assuredly add his name to the list of bona fide ‘blue-eyed soul’ purveyors thanks to his passionate reading of the songs on the album.
The process of selecting material for LONELY TOWN, LONELY STREET began with Frank collaborating with A&R veteran Mitchell Cohen with whom he worked on his critically-acclaimed 2015 debut album, “The Real Me.”  Says Frank, “I was looking for material that spoke to me on every level – musically, emotionally and from a storytelling standpoint.  We finally got down to eleven songs and then my producer Jay Newland (a 10-time Grammy winner known for his work with Norah Jones and Gregory Porter) suggested “Rainy Night In Georgia.”  That was the last song to record and it’s become one of my absolute favorites on the album.”
Shiner’s own story as a performer is atypical: after nearly two decades away from working as an entertainer – “I paid my dues, I fulfilled responsibility as a father, husband, a friend, as a business person and put everything on back burner” – Frank returned to singing following his wife Suzanne’s battle with cancer in 2009. 
Frank briefly began studying law before switching to acting, training in classics by Shakespeare and Moliere and moving to New York, where he would go on to appear in over sixty theatre and television productions and meet “the love of my life” Suzanne, who he married within two years after arriving in New York.
In 2014, with the release of “The Real Me,” produced by award-winner Gary Katz, Frank reignited the passion for music he had never lost.  “Feels Like Home,” a Randy Newman reinterpretation, gained considerable airplay in and around the New York area as the premier single from the album on Bakerson Records (distributed by Universal Music Group) as did “Driving Home For Christmas,” issued ahead of his debut CD in December 2013, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in honor of his late father.
Out in October 2016, Frank’s potent reading of another yuletide classic, “Please Come Home For Christmas,” is a prelude to the March 2017 release of LONELY TOWN, LONELY STREET, which showcases Frank’s artistry as an interpreter of material delivered with heart and from the soul. “I like to think I stayed true to every one of the songs. I’m a trained Shakespearean actor so I need to have a special focus on the lyrics.
Asked about how LONELY TOWN, LONELY STREET fits into his career path, Frank Shiner smiles: “I don’t think I have a ‘career objective’ as such.  I’m loving every second of what I’m doing now and if this album goes somewhere, well, that’s the cherry on top of the sundae …but I’ve already got the sundae!  The greatest compliment I get is when audience members tell me they can see the total bliss and joy I have onstage. The minute I lose that, it’s time to stop.”  With the release of an album made with love and delivered with true authenticity and passion, that won’t be anytime soon.
David Nathan
September 2016

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