May 24, 2013 By Scott Tady for The 3 min read

MUNHALL — It’s tricky playing one of rock’s greatest sax solos every night.

But for Thom Gimbel, it’s an “Urgent” matter.

As in Foreigner’s 1981 Top-10 smash “Urgent,” which the classic-rock band will perform today at the Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead.

“I have so much fun playing that, it’s indescribable,” Gimbel said last week in a phone interview.

“That high note is like the ultimate scream. It’s like you’re screaming at the top of your lungs, but with not as much pain.”

Motown great Junior Walker provided the piercing, blistering notes on the original recording, which includes then-unknown studio player Thomas Dolby on synthesizer.

“I have to pace myself when we get to ‘Urgent,” Gimbel said. “If I’m dancing around too much before that solo, I’ll be short of air.”

Gimbel also gets to cut loose as a rhythm guitarist, as well as a sax player, when Foreigner roars through hits like “Hot Blooded,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Juke Box Hero” and the power ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

“I sincerely look forward to playing all our songs, and I look forward to playing with all those guys,” said the Boston native and former member of Aerosmith’s 1980s touring band, who joined Foreigner full-time in the mid-1990s.

Foreigner’s lone original member is British guitarist Mick Jones. Co-founding singer Lou Gramm went solo in 2003, and is replaced in the current lineup by Kelly Hansen, who Gimbel can’t say enough nice things about.

“He’s just the most amazing vocalist,” Hansen said. “And he’ll stop at nothing to get the crowd on its feet and rushing to the stage. He’s very crazy, and makes fun of himself, and fun of the crowd and will do anything to get a reaction.”

According to Gimbel, Hansen nails the high notes on “Juke Box Hero,” which is the vocal equivalent of the “Urgent” sax solo.

“Hearing him sing ‘Juke Box Hero’ really is worth the price of admission,” Gimbel said.

Having done recent package tours with bands like Journey, Styx, Def Leppard and Bryan Adams, Foreigner’s solo headlining jaunt allows the band to stretch out more, and play more of its 16 Top-30 hits.

“Every song we play is a hit, although some people in the crowd might not have known certain songs were Foreigner hits,” Gimbel said.

For instance, spectators have come up to him after shows and admitted they recognized but weren’t aware that Foreigner originally recorded “Blue Morning, Blue Day” and “Long, Long Way From Home.”

“So that comes as a nice surprise to them,” Gimbel said.

Gimbel looks forward to revisiting the Carnegie Library Music Hall, getting a kick out of the fact it’s a 1,000-seat concert site with a library, athletic gym and indoor heated pool.

“So, stop off at the gym, grab a book then come see our show,” Gimbel said. “Seriously, that’s just a gorgeous and charming old building, and the sound is always excellent. That’s our kind of place.

“We’re very grateful to people who support this kind of classic-rock music,” Gimbel said. “We feel very fortunate there are bands, like us, still rocking, and people rocking with us.

“It’s like a team effort.”