Zan Zone: The Rock Is Still Rollin’

Brooklyn native Zan Burnham honed his guitar chops in the New York City music scene playing live in joints like CBGBs and The Bitter End. Which reminds me, on a visit to NYC three years ago on a night on the town we ended the night at The Bitter End. A great night it was. Now, back to Zan Zone. The band has just released their sixth effort titled The Rock Is Still Rollin’ and playing on the album are:

Zan Burnham (guitar, bass, percussion, theremin, vocals on tracks 7 and 9)
Marko Djordjevic (drums, vocals)
Adrienne McKay (vocals, organ, piano)
Angela Watson (vocals on tracks 2, 3, 6, 10, 12)
Philip Dessinger (vocals on tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 12)
Saadi Zain (bass guitar on tracks 8, 9, 11, vocals)
Additional musicians:
Emily Isaac (vocals)
Keith Gurland (saxophone)
Ted Eyes (piano on track 2)
Ernesto Gomez (harmonica)
Ludovica Burtone (violin)
Chiara Fasi (violin)
Lourdes Rosales (viola)
Agustin Uriburu (cello)

This is an excellent rock album with its roots buried deep in the ‘70s, ‘60s, and ‘50s starting with the adventurous “Born To Roll�, an instrumental beginning with a wonderful piano melody and when the rest of the band kick in the mood is joyous and fun. From there the band ventures forth into edgier territory, verging on progressive rock, with the emphasis on ‘rock’. The organ is particularly effective. Next is the up-tempo, old timey rock and roll of “Have Some Fun Tonight�, and as the title suggests this is a super fun listen with its Chuck Berry-like guitar and CCR vibes. On “Dog Days� the band opt for a country rock sound with fine lead vocals courtesy of Angela Watson. There are six band members and all of them add vocals, which has always been a high point for me. “Double Life� includes some off kilter guitar riffs, a killer lead vocal and a ripping organ solo to flesh out the sound. Another fun retro rocker is the catchy “Hard To Get� with its sing along chorus and wonderful saxophone solos. The bluesy southern rock charm of “Mama Was A Train Rock� and the smoothed out mid-tempo rock of “Ready To Say Goodbye� are more great tunes.

Chalk full of catchy melodies, excellent vocals, and fine musicianship, The Rock Is Still Rollin’ is another winning platter from Zan Zone. This isn’t flashy or heady, it’s just plain feel good music for people who remember why the ‘60s and ‘70s were so great.

Thank you Zan Zone for keeping the music alive. Highly recommended!

Track Listing:
1. Born To Roll (8:35)
a. Roll Call
b. Belly Roll
c. Roll Of The Dice
d. On A Roll
e. Roll With The Punches
f. Roll Call (Reprise)
2. Have Some Fun Tonight (2:45)
3. Dog Days (4:00)
4. Double Life (2:55)
5. Hard To Get (2:55)
6. Mama Was A Train Wreck (4:54)
7. Ready To Say Goodbye (5:30)
8. Friends (4:09)
9. She Left Me (The Love I Had) (4:05)
10. That Flame (4:57)
11. Happy Go Lucky (3:23)
12. Rockin’ n’ Rollin’ On Down The Road (5:30)

Added: April 19th 2026
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 25
Language: english

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