[.ca] The Swing Session

The essential modern swing band:
I'm a fanatical swing dancer and Little David and the Swing Session are my favorite dance band. This single album has twenty tracks, each of which is indispensable for dancers. They make my feet move! I used to have the pleasure of following the Swing Session from venue to venue in San Francisco, and since I've moved to the East Coast this CD fills the space they left in my life. Most of these tunes are quite faithful renditions of tunes by someone named Louis, and most are quite hoppin' fast, though there are a few slower numbers. You need this CD!

Lindy Hopper's Delight!:
There's a great range of tempos here, with nothing incredibly fast. It's all danceable. And you can't help but move! Their authentic sound really rocks! My favorite songs aren't their covers, but their originals, like Baby's Boogie Woogie and Out West, written by their own Little David. Scotty's boogie woogie piano reminds me of the old greats, like Pete Johnson. I love going to see this band; whether I end up just hanging out and drinking with Pops & Scotty, or dancing the night away, they always make the evening memorable. I can't wait for their next album, Whispering Grass!

Great:
I'm a big fan of all sorts of jazz, blues, swing and neo-swing music and this SF local band is my favorite. They've got a gritty, saxy, wailing sound that is neither too fast to get in some great licks like most swing bands or too slow like many old-time smooth jazz artists. I especially reccomend "That Night."

Great music for dancing or listening! Everybody will love it:
Swing Session burst onto the swing scene right as one of the most popular of the small-group swing bands, Indigo Swing, was fading away. Swing Session quickly became THE band of choice for serious swing lovers and dancers, and they rocketed to the top of everybody's favorite band list. They deserve it. They play genuine swing of the 1940s, the kind of danceable, high-octane music performed by small groups during the big band era. This, their first album, is a great place to start in discovering this exciting group of superb musicians playing the most infectiously joyous music you will find anywhere. But this isn't just an album for swing dancers! Anyone who likes jazz and the roots of modern music, or just plain clean, old-fashioned peppy sounds, will absolutely adore this album. Please check it out-it just might turn you into a swing dancer as well. The back of the album advertises "EVERY CUT A GEM!" and for once, the advertising isn't kidding. These are twenty tracks of which everything is great. Many of the numbers are classics of the era, and the band fully does them justice: the instrumental "Spooks Holiday," the Louis Prima classic "5 months, 2 weeks, 2 days," a lesser-known but absolutely knock-out Prima piece called "Be Mine," the sexy but very danceable Louis Jordan tune, "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," and the hard dancing instrumental "Drivin' & Jivin'." But the band also writes some great original tunes that perfectly fit the style of the classics: "Hardtack" (based on the noir movie "Out of the Past"), "Jump Little David" (named after the bass player), and one the real big gems of the album, "Last Night," a slow, fun, and soulful tale of an actual nightclub fire. Lead singer Pops really does a number of this one1 The musicians all just stun with their abilities. Leader singer Peter "Pops" Walsh is a wonderful personality in his vocals (and he's a swell guy in person as well). He's backed up with drums, piano, trumpet, sax, and bass-and man, can Jeff "Erv" Ervin wail on the saxophone! These guys swing hard, and they love what they do, and you'll love what they do as well. (As a side note: the band recently changed their name to "Stompy Jones" for the release of their third album. Don't worry, though: it's still the exact same line-up of players playing the same wonderful 1940s swing!) If you love this-and you will-buy their equally great "Whispering Grass" and "Stompy Jones" albums. Look out for them in your town, especially if you live in California (they are a San Francisco-based outfit). They are party to see live! (And remember, they are now called "Stompy Jones.") SWING ON!

AWESOME BAND:
Easily my favorite swing band playing today. "Pops" has a great stage presence and infectuous playfulness that while this CD does not fully convey, is nonetheless in evidence in abundance. These medium tempo swing tunes are sure to get your feet moving whether on the dance floor or under the office desk. 5,6,7&8!

• Let Me Give You All My Love
• 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days
• That Night
• Out West
• Soft
• Baby's Boogie Woogie
• Swing Man
• Spooks Holiday
• Mumbles Blues
• Well, Well My Love
• Hard Tack
• Be Mine
• Sausage Rock
• Still in Love
• L.A. Hop
• My Baby's Sweet
• Jump Little David
• Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?
• Big Fat Mama
• Drivin' & Jivin'