Climb - Back in Action Again (2016)

Best remembered for his successful baseball career as a rising young star with the Montreal Expos, Warren Cromartie earned the affectionate nickname “Cro” and even had a candy bar named after him, a la Babe Ruth. After ten years in the major leagues, at only 30 years old, Cromartie became the first prominent American player still in his prime to sign with a Japanese baseball team. In Japan, Cromartie became a rock star of sorts, winning the coveted MVP award in 1989 and led his team to the Japan Series championship. What most people didn’t know was the fact that Cromartie was an accomplished drummer who befriended and jammed with the Canadian rock band Rush – Cromartie’s name appears on the back cover of Rush’s 1982 album, Signals and he is also thanked in the liner notes. While in Japan, Cro formed an AOR band called Climb with Austrian lead vocalist Joe Hamilton. In 1988, the band put out a limited edition album that was released in Japan only and boasted an all-star lineup that included Rush lead singer Geddy Lee; the legendary Detroit session player and producer Bruce Nazarian; Foreigner’s lead singer Lou Gramm; David Rosenthal, the keyboard player of the popular rock band Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and current keyboardist and musical director for Billy Joel’s band. The self titled debut was funky and rockin’ with Cromartie in the driver’s seat, totally wailing on the drums and leading the band with total command, and (excuse the pun), totally knocking the ball out of the park. The album received rave reviews in Japan and Warren slowly began work on a second album that was completed in 1990, but until now, was never released. The second album, Back In Action Again, which is presented here, is a more tightly focused album featuring new lead singer Pete Hewlett and a core band that once again included co-producer Bruce Nazarian on guitar and keyboards, Mark Rivera on saxophone and Eddie Martinez on guitar. The album features five Cromartie originals plus tunes from Gamble & Huff, Bernie Taupin, Michael Bolton, Stephen Dorff and other well known writers. After nearly thirty years, this fine album is finally available to the public, newly remastered. Besides his illustrious baseball career, Warren “Cro” Cromartie now has a body of work as a musician that he can indeed be proud of.