(Reviewed by Don Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
This is the story of forty-nine-year-old Jimmy Koslowski and his uncertain life as a struggling musician. It starts off with his family, where his father is an orchestra leader, and his older brother is a gifted guitarist. To the dismay of his parents, Jimmy leaves college for his love of music.
While playing in various bands he gets an offer to join a Beatles tribute band, Help!, led by an aging Gene Klein. Jimmy plays the Paul McCartney role convincingly. Both Jimmy and Gene have strong personalities, and they clash and gel, but they become lovable characters that hook you into their lives.
Gene is a tyrant of a leader but playing his John Lennon role, he makes the band a success. His strong demeanor gives the band a soul as they maintain a certain lifestyle. He manages the band members like a marine sergeant, but he has a soft heart inside.
When Jimmy’s orchestra leader father is sent to a nursing home, he volunteers to play a one-hour concert for him and the other patients each week. Jimmy is frustrated playing the same Beatles songs all the time but doesn’t have the drive to showcase his original material until a chance happening. He then must decide to try to go on his own or stay with the tribute band.
Jimmy confronts his past and current romantic interests as he searches for a deeper meaning to his life. He finally connects with a daughter he fathered twenty-five years ago and tries to hook up with a married woman as well as his former flames. He realizes he has a lonely life and does not know how to change it. All of this makes the plot quite interesting.
The story culminates in a Beatles tribute band contest in Liverpool, New York. The tension and drama to compete brings the band members having to choose what Beatles song list will win the crowd and the judges. Win or lose, you love the main characters, and you don’t want it to end. A fun read!
