It’s easy to make the argument that the annual feast is the soul of the Italian American neighborhood, and for the true feast aficionado, it’s the music that is the soul of the feast!

And no two people know this better than this week’s guests, the talented musicians at the helm of two of Italian America’s most renowned feast bands, Marty Caliendo and Joe Annecchino.

Based in Chicago, Marty is the founder of “Caliendo’s Banda Napoletana,” while Joe is the conductor and manager of the New Jersey-based “Tony Neglia Band.” Both men have dedicated their lives and careers to preserving Italian American feast music and bands, from the songs, to the instruments, to the attire, and more.

In this week’s episode, Marty and Joe tell us about how the music we hear at Italian American feasts tells the story of our people, and how the songs have survived and evolved for generations. We also learn about the unique anthems composed for each community’s particular saints, and which songs might just have checkered pasts unknown to most revelers clogging the procession routes at the feast.

Marty and Joe also discuss why the feast bands are not a marching band, and why the saint processions are not a parade and why it is vital to our community to maintain the feast music tradition, so the feasts themselves continue to survive and thrive.

We’re in the heart of the summer “Feast Season,” so sit down and join us for an episode that will surely have you tasting zeppole and hearing the tunes that bring you back each year!