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Lee Press-On, vocals, mallet instruments, theremin, pipe organ; Leslie Presley, vocals and finger cymbals; Mark Donnelly, alto saxophone; Mike Bello, tenor saxophone; Pat Byers, baritone saxophone and flute; Bob Thies, trombone; Todd Grady, trumpet; Danny Uzilevsky, guitar; Ian Dickenson, stand up bass; Patrick Matranga, drums; David Vanian, vocals.
They leer at you from their press release like a bunch of unhinged second-hand car salesmen; and that is just the start. This is a sort of Spike Jones meets Mexican Music Hall; a dizzying, deranged cacophony of fun; an infectious blast of Latin swing and slapstick. I actually laughed out loud; when was the last time you were able to do that to a Jazz CD? Let's not forget that they also play music, real heavy on the horns; these guys do not hang back, they are earthy, organic, and they do seem to genuinely have a good time. They romp through "Begin The Beguine" and "Brazil" with all the finesse of a demented Latin American steam-roller; the numbers swing superbly to great arrangements and a Latin rhythm. "It Had Better Be Tonight", a Henry Mancini tune, is sung by the sensuous Lesley Presley, doing it again in "Coax Me A Little Bit", a precious flower alone amongst all that beastly manly mayhem; the poor thing. This CD is a magnificent pick-you-up; I quote, 'Be merry, we're all gonna die anyway'. Just don't buy a car from them.
by Ferdinand Maylin
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Copyright Jazz Now, March 2003 issue, all rights reserved
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