2003 FEBRUARY 8 #039
Alvin Dahn - Don't Throw Your Dreams Away
Alvin Dahn (rhymes with "man") is a former college custodial engineer and mausoleum crypt salesman. In the early 1990s, convinced that pop stardom beckoned, he quit his job, forked over a wad of borrowed cash and, with topnotch session players, recorded an album at a Buffalo, NY studio. Allegedly self-taught on 50 instruments and imbued with a "determination and desire to make [a] mark in the music industry," Dahn genre-surfed from country to ballads to disco in a voice that'll never be mistaken for Mel Tormé, but with arrangements that revealed a stunning sophistication. By the time the album was finished, so were his finances, and the collection remains unreleased.
One engineer who worked with Alvin at the time writes: ""He was pretty confident that he was the next John Lennon, and his music was gonna top the charts. I don't think I've met a less musical person in my life, but he was convinced that he was 'the bomb.' At first it was torture working on the project, but after a while I began to realize just how special these performances were." Since then, bootleg tapes have been circulating and Alvin has unwittingly achieved cult status.
Alvin's head-banging rocker, "You're Driving Me Mad," was included on Songs in the Key of Z, Vol. 2. Erupting like "Dahn Halen," the tune was composed while Alvin was seething over his ex-wife and his boss. "Don't Throw Your Dreams Away" points to a more reflective and gentle Alvin, with a brilliant chamber string accompaniment that the singer claims to have arranged.
Dahn no longer writes or plays music, due to arthritis and money woes, but he did compose the theme to a local religious cable TV show. "I prayed," said Alvin, ""and the Lord gave me a song."
from Alvin Dahn press kit:
In this day and time when everyone seems to looking for the next platinum selling artist, sometimes they don't realize the next John Lennon, Bob Dylan or even Elvis is a lot closer than they think. In fact, straight out of Cheektowaga, New York is Artist/Producer sensation Alvin Dahn. With versatility as one of his many strong points, Alvin Dahn will take you on a musical journey you'll never forget! Classical, Jazz, Rock, Blues and easy listening is what this musical genius offers. Get a taste of the musical abilities of Alvin Dahn. Don't pass up this opportunity to experience music taken to the next level.
- Irwin Chusid, http://www.keyofz.com
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