Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
How Big Can You Get? A Tribute to Cab Calloway
Vanguard Records
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hit it big when the neo-swing movement was (pardon the pun) in full swing with their self-titled Interscope Records release. Now they are enjoying a revival with shows like “Dancing With the Stars” (which the band performed on) captivating America and bringing swing back into the spotlight. Now the octet is shining a bright light on the legendary Cab Calloway with their latest release How Big Can You Get? A Tribute to Cab Calloway.
Starting off with the burner “Come On (With the Come On),” BBVD take each Calloway hit and put a new and lively spin on it. They make some of the most energetic music you’ll hear. They also added “Minnie the Moocher” which was one of my favorites on their self-titled release.
You can do just about any dance to their covers including the jitterbug (“Call of the Jitterbug”) and swing (“Hey Now (Hey Now)”).
Singer Scotty Morris has a smooth, yet raspy voice that grabs you and takes you on a trip back to the Prohibition clubs of the ’20s while still sounding new and fresh. If a martini could sing, it would sound like Scotty Morris.
Where their counterparts The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies go from genre to genre and Squirrel Nut Zippers focus on sounding like they recorded their albums on vinyl in the ’30s, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy manages to make swing sound new, refreshing and more fun than a live taping of “So You Think You Can Dance?” They’ve been around for a decade and are starting to solidify themselves as more than just a fad while paying tribute to one of jazz and swing’s legends.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: http://www.bbvd.com
