The great Burt Bacharach once asked the musical question: "What's it all about, Alfie?"

Now, finally, it seems that Alfie Zappacosta has the answer. No more record companies, no more radio singles, no more yes-men, he says. His new album, Dark Sided Jewel - a slick, sophisticated, George Benson-like fusion of pop and jazz that paints the Italian singer as the hopeless romantic he is - was written, recorded and will be marketed his way. He performs next Thursday in the Overtime pub, an "Internet CD release party," since you'll only be able to buy it through his Web site (www. iamzappacosta.com).

As an '80s pop star with a couple of hits to live up to, he's had his fill of being second-guessed by the industry.

"I'm over the hill as far as they're concerned," the 46-year-old singer says, "but they don't know me ...

"It used to be so confusing in the '80s. I had to sound like punk, like Styx, like Bryan Adams, like Loverboy. Every four months you had to change the idea of what you were all about. I didn't fit any of that. So the only way I'm going to get this to happen is just do it myself."

Zappacosta, who moved his family and business to Edmonton after he fell in love with our "quiet culture," credits a near-death experience with getting his act in focus. Three years ago, he fell gravely ill from pancreatic tumours and took nearly a year to recover.

"It put a little bit more focus on only one thing: Hurry up! Everything else that isn't important, sweep it out through the back door and hone in to what it is you have to do. Hurry up and get this stuff done."