December 29, 2015

JBB Exclusive: Interview with @DooWopProject Members Dominic Nolfi and Dominic Scaglione, Jr. (@Dominic1110) with News on Debut LP!

December 29th, 2015

DWPALBUM

Earlier this month, The Doo Wop Project announced some BIG news–the release of their debut album, which is absolutely awesome! It’s now available to purchase on the group’s website: TheDooWopProject.com!

We’re thrilled to present our recent interview with two of the members of The Doo Wop Project, Dominic Nolfi and Dominic Scaglione, Jr., who filled us in on the creation of their debut album, the recording process, and some exciting 2016 news for the group!

Jersey Boys Blog: Great to catch up with you, Dom & Scags, and congratulations on The Doo Wop Project’s recording! It is truly spectacular–the awesome vocals, the harmonies, the music, the arrangements…I could go on & on! Was this the big dream for you guys to record an album since you began the group? Could you talk about the process? Who was the producer? Were you all responsible for hiring the arranger, the musicians, and finding a studio?

Dominic Nolfi: I would say that recording our own LP was definitely a major group goal. It’s the ultimate calling card. Sonny Paladino, our musical director, really took the lead on a producing level. He booked the studio time, was on hand when the tracks were mixed and eventually mastered.

Dominic Scaglione, Jr.: Sonny also handles most of our arranging and then we tweak the tune as a group in rehearsal. We all had a hand in choosing the songs for the album, though.

JBB: With so many great Doo Wop songs, how hard was it to narrow it down to only ten tracks? Did each of you pick one or two of your favorites, or was it more of a group decision? How tough was it to include one great song over another?

DN: Choosing the tracks was difficult. We’ve charted a lot of tunes over the years and deciding on ten wasn’t easy. The DWP likes to debate. haha

DS: We chose the songs that we’ve been doing in performance these last couple of years. We wanted each member to have a song. We wanted the CD to reflect our live show even though it’s a studio recording.

JBB: Do you have one or two personal favorites on the recording? What makes them stand out to you?

DN: I really enjoy “That’s My Desire.” It’s a simple track but builds beautifully. It’s the closest song we have that reflects early Doo Wop/Street singing and it was one of the first songs we decided we would cover.

DS: Yeah, Desire is great. I love the Motown/Smokey Robinson song suite. Charl Brown really nails it and the arrangement is spot on.

DN: “I Wonder Why” is fun as well. It represents our rowdy boyish vibe. We have fun performing that song and I think you can feel that on the recording. Dwayne Cooper’s “Speedo” is another example of the pure joy we get recreating the energy we bring to our stage show and translating that onto the record.

JBB: What were some of the biggest the challenges in doing this recording? Any wild or amusing stories about your fellow group members?

DN: Well, getting everybody in the same room is always the biggest challenge, so once we’re all together we really enjoy each other.

DS: We recorded at the Yellow Sound Lab in the East Village. It’s a really great recording studio and our engineer Matthias Winter was really great and patient. It’s a tight space though. So having eight of us jammed into the studio recording at the same time was sort of hilarious.

JBB: You and your fellow Doo Wop Project members have been in major Broadway shows before creating your group, including Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical. Considering both of those shows have Doo Wop roots to a certain extent, how did the experiences with those shows influence the creation The Doo Wop Project? How did playing some of the biggest pop and soul stars of all time prepare you for starting your own group?

Nolfi: Both the Four Seasons and The Miracles were deeply influenced by Doo Wop, especially The Miracles. Their early recordings are straight up Doo Wop. The Four Seasons basically took the high falsetto out of the background and put it out front. Those octave falsetto jumps were usually buried in the background in traditional Doo Wop. Being part of both JB and Motown really opened my eyes to how important Doo Wop was to shaping popular music. Being in the room while these shows were created had a huge influence on me and the other guys. Both were tremendous learning experiences.

DS: Between my Dad and our time in these shows, we have a deep understanding of this genre. Also our MD, Sonny Paladino has an uncle who is a long-time member of The Brooklyn Bridge, of Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge. He grew up listening to and going to Doo Wop shows.

DN: Dominic Scaglione, Senior is our official “Consiglieri” or advisor. He turned us onto a lot of tunes that he thought we should cover. Actually, “That’s My Desire” was his suggestion. He’s been a huge help.

JBB: Are there any exciting plans or tour dates in 2016 for The Doo Wop Project that you would like to share with JBB readers?

DS: We actually do have some exciting news to share. In September 2016, we’ll be debuting the symphonic version of our show with the Indianapolis Symphony. We’re really excited about it.

DN: Jack Everly, Ty Johnson and Brandy Rodgers caught our 54 Below show over the summer and approached us about collaborating and creating a Symphony Show. We, of course, jumped at the chance. This is a huge opportunity for us and we’re very grateful to Jack, Ty, and Brandy for making this happen. I can’t wait to hear Charl Brown sing Ooh Baby Baby/Tracks of My Tears with a full symphonic orchestra. We’re also heading back down to Florida in March and to Bermuda as well. Lots is happening.

JBB: Reflecting on The Doo Wop Project’s debut album, what does it mean to you? Is there anything that you learned about yourself (or the group) while making the recording that you didn’t know before

DS: I think we’re constantly learning. The album was a huge undertaking and scheduling is always challenging, but we have a great group of guys that really believe in the DWP. We know what we have is special and everybody and I mean EVERYBODY goes above and beyond to make it work.

DN: Dwayne, Charl, Russell, John D, and Sonny P, plus the two Dom’s….because two Dom’s…

DS: Make it right. Hahah

DN: It’s a winning combination. Hahaha. This group has definitely weathered a couple storms, but the past year and half has been very productive and honestly fun. The album is a piece of our live show that people can take home with them to enjoy. If anybody is interested in purchasing or hearing a sample of the Album all they have to do is go to our website: www.thedoowopproject.com.

Thanks so much for talking with us, Susie. We love the JB Blog!!!

JBB: Awww, thanks, Dom! You guys are a blast to interview–It’s been my pleasure!

2 Comments »

  1. Great interview! I love these guys and am so happy for/proud of them. The CD is great! Here’s to continued success moving forward!!

    Comment by Pamela — December 29, 2015 @ 11:05 am

  2. Congratulations fellas on your debut CD. I wish you much success. Count me in as a fan!

    Comment by Gary — December 30, 2015 @ 10:47 pm

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