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Various Artists: Swingin' Jazz for Hipsters Vol. 1
ByAll this seems designed to draw new moths to the flame. Types who, deep down, aren't as cynical as they think they ought to be. Will it work? Well, Grappelli's late lamented violin is as piquantly lyrical as usual. Mel Tormé sounds a trifle arch. Meurkens is breezy and dispassionate but thoroughly pleasant on his harmonica workout. One Mr. Warren Luening is heard briefly but to powerful effect on trumpet behind Mel. Sam Most's flute on "The Candy Man," on the other hand, seems a bit breathy. "Honeysuckle Rose" is thoroughly competent. "I Can Do It" is from a release called Outrageous, and has a loosey-goosey comic feel recalling that funny little song from the Sixties, "Ma-Na-Ma-Na." (Or is that all one word?) One thing you can certainly do is dance to it.
Ruby Braff's cornet darts playfully around the lush tenor of Scott Hamilton. And you also get Dave McKenna on piano, making "Days of Wine and Roses" a highlight of this disc unless you are more entranced by Ernestine Anderson's Paul Simon tribute, which was very hard for me to hear with the original braying so loudly in my mind. Ernestine has a seductive, mellow voice; I'd love to hear her singing a more substantial song. Byrd and Peplowski in "Ipanema" begin with a refreshingly inventive introduction, but dive back into bossa nova land soon enough. Still, both play with their customary relaxed verve.
I don't know. The liners define hipster for me, but I'm not sure anyone nowadays will know who this disc is for. Some good jazz, some ho hum stuff. Good background mix for parties.
Personnel
Various Artists
variousAlbum information
Title: Swingin' Jazz for Hipsters Vol. 1 | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: Concord Music Group
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