Swingadelic Bluesville

Swingadelic
Bluesville
Zoho Music ZM 202008

It has been about three years when I reviewed "Mercerville," by the swing little big band, Swingadelic. Swingadelic was formed in 1998 when the neo-swing movement was cresting. Bassist Dave Post gathered his jazz & blues playing friends together to play engagements at various New York City venues. About that recording, I concluded, "Dancers and listeners will find much to enjoy in this lively, appealing recording."

In his notes for "Bluesville," Dave Post observes, "'The blues' has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different folks. Are they the acoustic blues of Bukka White, the electric blues of Muddy Waters, or the sophisticated sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington or Ray Charles? It could be more like a state of mind, like the mood and atmosphere created by Red Garland's beautifully mellow LP 'Red In Bluesville.'"

He further states, "Here's a collection of tunes we do at concerts and dances, in bands both large and small, all of which evoke a blues attitude. Jazz people often call us a blues band, and Blues people will call us a jazz band. It's a mixed up, nebulous world we inhabit, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Post is the only person on every selection here. The collective personnel on this recording includes Dave Post, bass; Colby Inzer, drums; Jimmy Coleman, drums; John Bauers, piano & vocals; Mitch Woods, piano & vocals; Kyle Koehler, Hammond B3 organ; John Martin, trumpet; Bryan Davis, trumpet; Carlos Francis, trumpet; Robert Edwards, trombone; Alex Jeun, trombone; Neal Pawley, trombone & vocals; Audrey Welber, alto sax; Ken Robinson, alto sax & flute; Michael Weisberger, tenor sax; Bill Easley, tenor sax; John DiSanto, baritone sax & piccolo; Vanessa Perea, vocals; Andy Riedel, guitar & vocals; Boo Reiners, guitar; and Joe Taino, guitar. Most of the tracks have a little big band, one a piano quartet, and a few with a full big band.

Performances of "The Late, Late Show" from Basie's Atomic Basie band bookend twelve other performances. The opening performance has pianist Bauers very capable vocal along with Bryan Davis' blistering trumpet. At the same time, the closing instrumental version spotlights Bauers on the piano and Mike "The Iceberg" Weisberger on tenor sax. One of the best selections is trombonist Neal Pawley channeling Mose Allison on his vocal before a booting sax solo from former Ruth Brown saxophonist Bill Easley. Organist Kyle Koehler is outstanding here as an accompanist and soloist with the horns riffing in support. Johnny Otis' hit recording of "Harlem Nocturne" will be evoked by the performance here with Audrey Welber's vibrato lending her also sax a bluesy quality which is matched by Boo Reiners keen lap steel guitar.

Pianist Jon Bauers handles the vocals on a couple of Ray Charles classics, "Mary Ann,' and "Lonely Avenue." Alex Jeun is sensational on the trombone on the former song. There is a charming vocal by Vanessa Perea on the Mary Lou Williams' ballad, "What's Your Story, Morning Glory," that was initially recorded by Andy Kirk with Pha Terrell on vocal. Inspiration for this performance is an Ella Fitzgerald recording, with a terrific tenor sax solo from Michael Weisberger. Mitch Woods guests with his boogie inflected piano on a cover of Mose Allison's "Parchman Farm," with Andy Riedel adding his guitar.

Dave Post contributed an original, "El Blues Esa Muje," which he cites Cal Tjader and Quincy Jones as inspirations. There is some sparkling guitar from Joe Taino and robust trombone from Alex Jeun along with a bass break by the composer who contributed the arrangement with its infectious use of flute. Perea returns for a rendition of "I Don't Know," a Brook Benton composed blues that Ruth Brown first recorded. Against an arrangement with effective use of muted brass and braying saxophones, she delivers a superlative vocal. Carlos Francis takes an outstanding trumpet solo employing a plunger mute.

Among other pleasures is a cover of Charles Brown's "Fool Paradise," with vocalist Bauers with Ken Robinson's bluesy alto sax solo and Robert Edwards gutbucket trombone solo. The rendition of Duke Ellington's "The Mooche," includes more muted brass (including Carlos Francis channeling rubber Miley with the plunger mute) along with Boo Reiners intriguing steel guitar. With excellent playing, first-rate arrangements, and very capable singing, "Bluesville" is a terrific recording centered on the intersection of blues and jazz.

I received a review copy from a publicist. Here is an older video of Swingadelic performing "I Want a Little Girl."

Eyal Vilner Big Band Hanukkah

Eyal Vilner Big Band
Hanukkah
Self-produced

Composer, saxophonist and arranger Eval Vilner has come up with a uniquely original holiday offering. His latest re lease is an exciting and festive Hanukkah album, with his 16 piece big band on a repertoire of traditional Hanukkah songs, blending holiday melodies with sounds influenced by jazz and swing, Israeli, Jewish and Middle Eastern music, in addition to Brazilian Choro and Afro - Cuban rhythms. In addition there is a vocal trio on one selection and Israeli flute virtuoso Itai Kriss. It was recorded at one of the oldest synagogues in the U.S. - the Museum at Eldridge Street - a National Historic Landmark dating back to 1887 in what used to be a Jewish immigrant neighborhood and is now Chinatown.

The opening "Prelude" opens as the horns provide a classical choral played by the horns of a traditional song sung every day of Hanukah after the lighting of candles followed by "Maoz Tzur," where the band swings the melody with Vilner taking a fervent sax solo with Jack Glottman taking a crisp piano break with the full and coming across like the 50's Basie Band on the joyous romp. "Sevivon," inspired by the spin of the dreidel, has a strong percussive and Brazilian flavor, including a section dedicated to Batucada music (a drum ensemble) as well as some brilliant flute from, Itai Kriss. A vocal trio of three of NYC’s finest trad - jazz vocalists Tamar Korn, Martina DaSilva and Vanessa Perea, sing the Boswell Sisters inspired vocals on "Oh Hanukah," with a strong tenor sax solo by Evan Arntzen, along with the leader's clarinet break while Vilner's arrangement smartly frames the vocals and the sax solo. On "Mi Yemalel," Vilner plays the shofar to open this musical depiction of the Maccabees and their war on the Greeks who occupied Ancient Judea. Wayne Tucker continues, playing a Taqsim (intro, in traditional Arabic music, which sets the mood of a piece) followed by the harmonized trombone section followed by the saxophones and trumpets playing contrasting melodies.

A joyous bonus track, "These Candles" starting as a march before turning to an Ellingtonian flavored swing number and features the trumpet of Irv Grossman and the break all the doors down tenor of Michael Hashim. It is only available digitally, but complements this wonderful recording of Holiday music. This is available from cdbaby and other sources.

I received a download of this to review from a publicist. Here is the Eyal Vilner Big Band performing "Maoz Tzur."

Swingadelic Visits Mercerville

Swingadelic
Mercerville
Zoho Music

The self-described 'little big band' Swingadelic was formed in 1998 during the neo-swing movement was cresting when bassist Dave Post gathered his jazz & blues playing friends together to play engagements at various New York City venues, and when the swing scene waned the band stayed active playing swing dance groups, concerts, festivals, schools and private engagements and today plays 100 dates a year. This new album is a tribute to the legendary songwriter Johnny Mercer. Previously Swingadelic has recorded tributes to Duke Pearson and Allen Toussaint.

Pianist and vocalist Johnny Bauers traces the origin of the present recording to the work he did for a Mercer show during the 2009 centenary of him. Subsequently he brought this concept to Swingadelic's Dave Post, and enlisted Vanessa Perea, the sublime vocalist featured on this recording and we started doing shows all over the New York area. During these shows, they told the story of Johnny’s life and the stories of his songs, striking a chord with our audiences. According to Bauers, "[t]his CD is an attempt to recreate some of that magic we feel when we go onstage and perform this great music."

As my first exposure to Swingadelic, I was surprised and impressed by the band's solid musicianship and the focused performances of such familiar numbers as "Too Marvelous For Words," "Blues in the Night," "That Old Black Magic," "I Wanna Be Around," "Jeepers Creepers," "Moon River/The Days of Wine and Roses," "G.I. Jive," and "One For The Road." This set kicks off with "Too Marvelous For Words," where the band punchy, brassy playing grabs the listener. Johnny Bauers is a decent singer, but vocally the star here is Vanessa Perea whose timing, intonation and relaxed phrasing shines. He does shine in a Louis Prima manner with his growl on "That Old Black Magic," and does a credible job crooning on the Tony Bennett hit, "I Wanna Be Around."

The medley of two songs co-written with Henry Mancini, ""Moon River/The Days of Wine and Roses," opens with Panea's lovely, wistful treatment of the former number before Bauer's crooning of the latter number, but he cannot convey the humor present on Louis Jordan's hit on "G.I. Jive." Paul McCartney wanted to collaborate with Mercer in the 1970s but health issues prevented this from happening. The performance of "P.S I Love You" is a fascinating mash-up of the Beatles song with a Gordon Jenkins-Mercer collaboration of the same name.

A serviceable singer, Bauers' piano and his arrangements are first-rate and help account for the splendid playing throughout this recording. Also, there are a number of notable solos including those of guitarist George Naha on "Acc Cent Chu Ate the Positive" and "Blues in the Night," while John Disanto's baritone establishes the feel on "That Old Black Magic." Robert Edwards trombone enlivens "I Wanna Be Around" while Audrey Welber's clarinet is featured on "Goody Goody," and Michael Weisberger ably reprises Louis Jordan's alto sax solo on "G.I. Jive."

Dancers and listeners will find much to enjoy in this lively, appealing recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here Swingadelic perform a song that will be familiar from Bobby Darin.

swingadelic