Today is the final day that performers can submit their electronic press kits (EPKs) to me on Sonicbids for this set of reviews. Performers are asked to fill out a pretty standard questionnaire, that includes, “Are you a current reader of the Orient Lodge Music Review” and “Briefly describe why we should write about you”.

People who are regular readers will know that I like to highlight unknown and out of the ordinary performers. Francesco Bonifazi said that he is not a regular reader, yet in telling me why he thinks I should write about him, he hits the note that resonates here.

He starts off:

I suspect that my music is not exactly like anything you've heard before....so please keep an open mind. When I tell reviewers, radio hosts etc. that I'm a world-champion whistler they wince and think it's going to be a cute novelty act

He’s right. His music is not exactly like anything I’ve heard before. That is part of the reason I like it. It is not some cute novelty act and, yes, he is a world-champion whistler. I followed up on this claim. He won first place in the Popular Music category at the 2003 International Whistlers Convention. This year’s convention will be in Louisburg, North Carolina, April 6-10, 2011.

His whistling covers a broad spectrum of genres with a jazz being an important focus and I listened to quite a few tracks. “Angels” is one of my favorites:

Sometimes it feels like an angel brushes my skin.
They're all around us and from within.
Soft and smooth like a feather on a warm summer wind.
And there's kindness in the music of their gentle wings.

There is some impressive whistling on this track.

He sent me a link to one video. It is about twelve minutes long and not greatly edited. However, if you skip the first the first seven and a half minutes, there is a really fun section where he does Take The A Train, with some nice whistling and a kid in a Santa hat coming up to dance.

However, if you want to watch a video that really captures his whistling process watch this one:

Francesco Bonifazi is currently putting together a tour of the north east in the Spring and working on a second album focused on Acoustic/Americana/Audult Comtemporary music.