Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol.1, Vol.2)

Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol. 1)
Styles: Vocal, Trombone Jazz
Year: 2012
Time: 68:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 157,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:13) 1. Back Home Again In Indiana (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:07) 2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(9:31) 3. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles, Nicki Parrott & Dan Barrett)
(5:22) 4. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(8:45) 5. Tea For Two (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:37) 6. Let's Do It (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:27) 7. Montevideo (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(7:25) 8. The King (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(8:01) 9. Bochum Electricity Blues (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:07) 10. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)

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Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol. 2)

Time: 65:35
Size: 151,1 MB

(3:22) 1. Neal's Deal (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(3:21) 2. Georgia Jubilee (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:51) 3. Waste No Tears (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(3:08) 4. Whoa Babe (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:37) 5. Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby) (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:22) 6. Cavernism (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:08) 7. Absolutely, Positively (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles & Bernard Flegar)
(5:14) 8. With 'Em (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles & Bernard Flegar)
(6:29) 9. One O'clock Jump (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:45) 10. Montevideo (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:06) 11. If I Had You (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:57) 12. Sweet Sue (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:09) 13. Hindustan (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)

I wasn’t there. I wish I had been. But the good news is that two compact discs from this band’s German tour have been issued on the Echoes of Swing label (EOSP 4058 / 4059, available separately) and they come in the ear like honey. Hot honey, if you must know: a really delicious sensation.

The gracious swingsters on these discs are Duke Heitger, trumpet / vocal; Dan Barrett, trombone, head arrangements, vocal; Dan Block, clarinet, alto, tenor; Engelbert Wroebel, clarinet, soprano, tenor; Chris Hopkins, piano; Eddie Erickson, guitar, banjo, vocal; Nicki Parrott, string bass, vocal; Butch Miles, drums; Bernard Flegar, drums (on two tracks). The material comes from March 2010, and each CD has expansive notes by Dan Barrett. This tour was the idea of the very knowing and generous jazz fan / collector / scholar / promoter Manfred Selchow, who has written two splendid books on his heroes Edmond Hall and Vic Dickenson (PROFOUNDLY BLUE and DING DING! respectively) so you know he has good taste in musicians and bands.

Volume One begins with a string of “old favorites” played with snap and crackle not to ignore pop: INDIANA and SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET, followed by BLUES MY NAUGHTY SWEETIE GIVES TO ME, with echoes of Louis and Eddie Condon and the Hampton Victors, then Eddie convinces he us he is behaving well on KEEPIN’ OUT OF MISCHIEF NOW. The reed players and rhythm make us forget that TEA FOR TWO is ninety years old, and Nicki purrs her way through LET’S DO IT (with some nifty new lyrics as well). A rhythm section feature, MONTEVIDEO, is both startling and supple, evoking a late Ellington trio and then everyone evokes a compact powerful version of the Forties Basie band with THE KING. But wait! There’s more. A nice long blues, BOCHUM ELECTRICTY BLUES, and a sweet Duke vocal / trumpet performance of DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS? (which he does).

Volume Two opens with the bright NEAL’S DEAL (a Neal Hefti line for the 1951 Count Basie Sextet), then moves back nearly thirty years for GEORGIA JUBILEE, a memory of a pre-King-of-Swing record date led by Benny, with Coleman Hawkins on the tenor, and the Sidney Bechet WASTE NO TEARS featuring Block and Wroebel. Dan Barrett sings and swings mightily on the Lionel Hampton classic WHOA BABE, and then Nicki asks the troubling question in swing, IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN’T MY BABY. (We is, Nicki. We can’t help it nohow.)

An extraordinary, jumping version of Earl Hines’ CAVERNISM follows, then Eddie woos the crowd, which he does so well, with ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, a sweet love song written by the unheralded member of the Great American Songbook fraternity, Jabbo Smith. WITH ‘EM, Dan Barrett’s clever, hot, boppish take on I GOT RHYTHM, keeps the imagined dancers hopping, leading into a sleekly intense ONE O’CLOCK JUMP. Another delightful version of MONTEVIDEO follows remarkable improvisations on the theme and a tender IF I HAD YOU, before the disc romps home with SWEET SUE and HINDUSTAN.

If you know the players and singers here, you won’t have to be convinced of the quality of the music on these discs. But these performances are sharply executed when the music calls for it (this band isn’t ashamed of rehearsing) and loose, fervent, courageous when it’s time for jamming. These are live performances, so you can hear the good humor and delight in the various rooms and the sound is fine, too.

My only problem is that I file my CDs alphabetically according to the leader or the musician / singer I gravitate towards. I can’t be fair to anyone by putting these CDs under B for Barrett or H for Hopkins. It seems I have to buy multiple copies to satisfy my ethical self. You might not be burdened by such demands, but you will be delighted by every note on both discs.
https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/chris-hopkins-presents-dan-barretts-international-swing-party-2010-featuring-butch-miles/

Personnel: Dan Barrett, trombone, head arrangements, vocal; Dan Block, clarinet, alto, tenor; Engelbert Wroebel, clarinet, soprano, tenor; Chris Hopkins, piano; Eddie Erickson, guitar, banjo, vocal; Nicki Parrott, string bass, vocal; Butch Miles, drums; Bernard Flegar, drums (on two tracks); Duke Heitger, trumpet /vocal

Tour 2010 (Live!,Vol.1,Vol.2)

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Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson - BEDlam

Styles: Vocal,Trombone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:21
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. It's a good day
(4:09) 2. All I do is dream of you
(4:18) 3. Blue moon
(3:57) 4. Let's get away from it all
(4:42) 5. Dear Bix
(4:08) 6. The lady's in love with you
(4:38) 7. Oklahoma medley
(4:06) 8. A woman's intuition
(4:10) 9. Sway
(2:30) 10. I want you to be my baby
(4:13) 11. I can't give you anything but love
(4:03) 12. My canary has circles under his eyes
(4:09) 13. If you were the only girl in the world
(3:09) 14. BedLam
(4:15) 15. Bye,bye,baby

BEDlam is another in the series of recordings by the unusual, fun, swinging quartet known as BED. The group’s name is the humorous acronym formed by the names of three of the band members: Becky, Eddie, and Dan. However, bassist Joel Forbes’s contributions are essential to the band’s remarkable sound. As always, Joel is heard playing acoustically here, and his rich, deep bass is much of the reason for the band’s warm, glowing sound.

This is another great collection of interesting and often-overlooked songs from the Golden Era of American songwriting. The voice of Rebecca Kilgore is sublime, and her cool phrasing has made her in demand all over the world. Like the warm-toned trombonist Dan Barrett, Rebecca has performed at Carnegie Hall and at jazz parties and major jazz festivals all over the world. Listen as she reimagines Peggy Lee’s up- tempo hit, It’s A Good Day as a finger-popping, Gospel-infused ode to joy. Dan Barrett uses his special vintage mute for a suitably-bluesy contribution to Blue Moon.

You’ll give Eddie Erickson a standing ovation (as many audiences have done all over the world) when you hear his fantastic guitar playing and his singing. Eddie is also Rebecca’s own favorite vocalist! Eddie’s beautiful baritone voice is heard in several vocals here, and in duets with Rebecca. Eddie was recently inducted into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame. His swinging plectrum banjo playing can be heard in several selections in this variety-packed album. Another highlight in this set is Eddie’s solo banjo rendition of selections from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! The title track, Bedlam, is of course a riff on the quartet’s name, but it is also a hip, boppish blues melody by the hip, boppish tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray. BED’s longtime friend and resident genius Ray Landsberg contributed the hip, boppish lyrics that Rebecca debuts here. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/bedlam

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

BEDlam

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Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson, Joel Forbes - Watch Out!

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:50
Size: 162,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:52) 1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
(3:22) 2. Lazy River
(4:25) 3. Lonely Moments
(4:30) 4. It Takes Time
(3:47) 5. In a Little Gipsy Tea Room
(4:42) 6. The Pearls
(4:26) 7. Im An Old Cowhand
(4:30) 8. There I've Said It Again
(3:09) 9. Bye Bye Baby
(3:26) 10. The Waiter and The Porter and the Upstairs Maid
(4:38) 11. Rockin' Chair
(4:05) 12. When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues
(3:08) 13. Watch Out
(4:18) 14. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:08) 15. Skrontch
(5:26) 16. Canadian Sunset
(3:52) 17. Fugue For Tinhorns

The cover of this CD features the foursome known as BED wearing very serious, almost menacing facial expressions. So...Watch Out! (The inside photos are much less threatening). Once again, the quartet has mined rich, largely-forgotten material from America’s great musical past. Where else could you go to hear The Waiter, The Porter, And The Upstairs Maid? Or how about Duke Ellington’s hip tribute to a Harlem dance step: Skrontch? Dan, Eddie, and Joel offer their take on Jelly Roll Morton’s one-of- a-kind composition, The Pearls. Rebecca calls their hand, and raises the pot with her Western Swing version of I’m An Old Cowhand. There are many other terrific selections in this special collection of seventeen songs. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/watch-out

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

Watch Out!

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BED (Dan Barrett/Rebecca Kilgore/Eddie Erickson) - Four + 1

Styles: Trombone, Vocal And Guitar Jazz, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. I've heard that song before
(3:47) 2. This can't be love
(7:41) 3. East of the sun
(3:33) 4. Jubilee
(3:39) 5. Cheek to cheek
(4:38) 6. Say it over and over again
(3:41) 7. The hucklebuck
(4:03) 8. You can't lose a broken heart
(5:12) 9. Midnight in Moscow
(4:30) 10. You're a lucky guy
(4:31) 11. Cross your heart
(3:31) 12. The best things in life are free
(3:04) 13. Seven lonely days
(2:44) 14. Drum booguie
(3:08) 15. I'll see you in my dreams

This fun and interesting set of swinging American songs brings together five close friends who share a fondness for good tunes played with heart, and a swinging beat. BED is an acronym formed by Becky, Eddie, and Dan, three of the four members of that special quartet. (Bassist Joel Forbes is the fourth member of the troupe). BED eventually changed its funny name to honor their default leader, vocalist Rebecca “Becky” Kilgore. The group now performs as the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. For this session, Becky, Eddie Erickson, Dan Barrett, and Joel Forbes invited their good friend Jeff Hamilton to join them on drums.

Please note there are at least two terrific drummers who share that name. This particular Jeff grew up in New Orleans, and absorbed that city’s special regard for rhythm from the musicians he heard and with whom he performed around town. Additionally, Jeff studied with the great Cie Frazier, who for many years was the drummer with the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band! Over the years, Jeff’s approach has evolved into a very personal mix of New Orleans and later swing styles. He’s a perfect fit for his like-minded colleagues in the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. In addition to Becky’s beautiful singing and Jeff’s tasty time-keeping, Four + 1 also features vocals by Eddie Erickson. Eddie also shines here in masterful guitar work, and several hip, swinging plectrum banjo solos.

In the competitive jazz scene of New York City, Joel Forbes was at the top of the list of great jazz bassists. A long-time friend of Dan Barrett’s Joel contributes consistently propulsive bass lines, and several horn-like solos. Finally, Dan Barrett displays his usual élan in his trombone solos, and in his thoughtful backgrounds behind each of the singers. For the old favorite Midnight In Moscow, Dan puts down the trombone, and plays cornet. If that isn’t enough, he moves over to the piano to back Becky and Eddie on a rollicking version of The Hucklebuck! Don’t miss this great set of swinging vocal and instrumental jazz! https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/four-1

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar, Banjo; Joel Forbes Bass

Four + 1

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Eddie Erickson - I'm Old Fashioned

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:53
Size: 180.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Pick Yourself Up
[3:41] 2. That's My Home
[4:59] 3. S'posin'
[7:45] 4. Medley: It's The Talk Of The Town/Chinatown, My Chinatown
[5:05] 5. Did I Remember'
[7:09] 6. Sweet And Slow
[4:44] 7. Little White Lies
[3:48] 8. You're A Sweetheart
[7:39] 9. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
[3:33] 10. I'm Old Fashioned
[7:59] 11. That's A Plenty
[5:02] 12. Just A Kid Named Joe
[4:47] 13. A Shine On Your Shoes
[3:39] 14. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[3:49] 15. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

Eddie Erickson has been one of the most unsung heroes in traditional jazz for decades. A singer whose sound is much younger than his age, he's also an adept guitarist, mostly in the rhythmic sense, and occasionally picks up the banjo. This concert performance in Germany mines the deep well of American popular songs and early period jazz, is a fairly comprehensive look back to songs of the '30s and '40s, and showcases mostly sweet swinging sounds, a little blues, some dry humor, and some heat when needed to spice up the program. Though most of his bandmembers are relatively obscure, there is the veteran Finnish clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Antti Sarpila, the excellent rising star pianist Rossano Sportiello, and Euro-trad newcomers in drummer Moritz Gastreich, bassist Henning Gailing, and trumpeter Menno Daams. The star of every band he joins is trombonist Bill Allred, always a delight to hear, a true jazz master, and one who infuses kinetic energy with every note, solo, or ensemble contribution he plays. The instrumental numbers "Little White Lies" and "That's a Plenty" reflect the upbeat, good-time Dixieland style hot jazz where the instruments -- particularly Allred and Sarpila -- play battling counterpoint lines against each other. Erickson's singing, which lies somewhere between Jack Sheldon, Tom Saunders, and Harry Connick, Jr., is delightful, understated,. and endearing. The bouncy "Pick Yourself Up," the slower, bluesy "That's My Home," and the lighter "You're a Sweetheart" offer good contrast and consistency. Sportiello is featured during the solo medley "It's the Talk of the Town/Chinatown My Chinatown" with slight, laid-back stride inflections, Gailing gets the spotlight walking away during the old-time, midtempo "I'm Old Fashioned," and Sarpila's clarinet swings à la Benny Goodman for "Did I Remember?." While Erickson's instrumental guitar passages are mainly supportive, his banjo is upfront on his plucked and strummed solo effort "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," and pulls it off easily, and proves both lyrical and funny on the doting "A Shine on Your Shoes." Arbors Records consistently produces very good trad jazz records from musicians dedicated to keeping this area alive, and Erickson's band does nothing to diminish those returns. ~Michael G. Nastos

I'm Old Fashioned

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