“hiball_lounge_sessions”
The HiBall Lounge Sessions
Various Cats
HiBall
Hey, lean closer and I’ll let you in on a hot tip – I think swing is going to be big! No, really!
Haha, backlash aside, this does pretty well. The musical demands of swing are such that it takes a pretty talented musicians to cash in on this particular sign of millenial dementia. Six bands tackle twelve tracks, originals and standards alike, and produce a pretty solid anthology. Of note are Lavay Smith and the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, who smoothly lay on a gorgeous and honeyed rendition of “Blue Skies,” and Clint Baker’s New Orleans Jazz Band, who have a unique blend of styles that includes a definite Dixieland influence. Lee Press-on and the Nails (a twelve-piece that the liner notes quote as “swinging like a pit bull from a postman’s arm”) weighs in with a five-minute plus version of classic swing centerpiece “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and they do alright.
If you’re getting into this crazy swing music (kids these days! I tell ya… ), opt for this rather than another copy of that record you heard at your partner’s place at practice. Maybe it’ll make up for that busted coffee table. Max and Sam’s HiBall Lounge, 473 Broadway St., San Francisco, CA 94133; http://www.hiball.com
