Dean Martin

Both of my parents are originally from Italy, though both lived there for only a short time. As a child, most of the music I remember hearing in my house was more Italian-American than strictly Italian in style and language. For the most part they listened to singers like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, and Dean Martin.

Before even researching for this project I recalled the similarities between all the different artists and songs in my parents' record collection. Italian style music tends to have three different topics; love, food or love and food. And while several of the songs I found in this category are either in English, Italian or a mix of both, you can clearly hear words like: Amore, Pizza and Cannoli tossed in every song.

Probably the best example of the marriage between love, food and music would be the music of Dean Martin. Though people my age may think they aren't familiar with his music, songs like "That's Amore", "Ain't that a kick in the head", and "Beyond the sea" are a few I'm sure all ages know. Though best known for his TV and movie career, Dean Martin - born Dino Paul Crocetti - had an outstanding musical career.

Dean Martin was less an entertainer than an icon, the eternal essence of cool. A member of the legendary Rat Pack, he lived and died the high life of booze, broads and bright lights, always projecting a sense of utter detachment and serenity; along with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and the other chosen few who breathed the same rarefied air, Martin -- highball and cigarette always firmly in hand -- embodied glorious excess. As a singer, Martin was, by his own admission, not the greatest baritone on earth, and made no bones about having copied the styles of Bing Crosby and Perry Como. He couldn't even read music, and yet recorded more than 100 albums and 600 songs, racking up major hits such as "That's Amore", "Volare", "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" and his signature tune "Everybody Loves Somebody". Elvis Presley was said to have been influenced by Martin, and patterned "Love Me Tender" after his style.

I chose "That's Amore" for the class to listen to because it's a prime example of the folky, itlaian love ballad that while it seems silly and almost a joke, it still happens to be a nice song. I don't know how many have been to an Italian