The Tip Toe Big Band

The Tip Toe Big Band and Elle Hansen: Big Smile

by Jack Bowers
April 12, 2002

The bane of my existence — a potentially excellent big–band album with vocals on every track but two! Bad enough when the singer’s first language is English, even worse when, as in the case of Helle Hansen, it’s Danish. Okay, so she’s a pretty good singer, even if one may have a problem deciphering some of the lyrics; five of the compositions are hers, and “Stardust” they ain’t. Of the two instrumentals, director Jesper Riis’ “5” isn’t appreciably better — ...