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Babbaro plans to fly you to the moon
WARREN — Angelo Babbaro, the Canfield man with a voice like Sinatra, will take to the Packard Music Hall stage Thursday.
He’ll be backed by the 19-piece Big Band Sound of Packard orchestra for the concert.
The financial planner — he is president of the Babbaro Group — has been singing for years. It’s a love affair that got started shortly after he graduated from Youngstown State University. In the early days of his business career, he spent a lot of time driving to meet clients and would sing along to Sinatra tapes in his car.
Babbaro has been giving concerts on a semi-regular basis for the past few years, and is now beginning to attract attention from the music industry. He told The Vindicator last week that he will step up his performance schedule this year.
Babbaro, it must be noted, is not a Frank Sinatra impersonator — he doesn’t attempt to look like the legendary singer or act like him. But he is very much a student of the Chairman of the Board, and utilizes his technique and phrasing.
Those who go to Thursday’s show can expect to hear Sinatra staples such as “Cheek to Cheek” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” Babbaro will also sing “That Face,” a song written for — but never performed by — Sinatra.
Babbaro said he has always loved the music of an earlier generation: Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como and Tony Bennett.
“Sometimes I think I was born too late,” he said.
Opening the show will be Jackie Popovec, a senior at Canfield High School who plays both guitar and piano. Popovec showed talent and tremendous poise when she appeared with Babbaro at Stambaugh Auditorium a few years ago.
Her vocal style shows the influence of the likes of Nancy Wilson, Reene Olstead, Nora Jones and Etta James.
Thursday’s concert is part of the Warren Civic Music Association’s annual series.
Remaining concerts in the WCMA season include Five by Design, March 22, a musical tribute to the golden days of radio; and Stayin’ Alive, April 21, a tribute to the Bee Gees.