Songs - CD:

This is the third album from the teriffic six-person swing outfit, Swing Session, who officially change their name to "Stompy Jones" with this album. But don't worry, hepcats and kittens, they are still they exact same band that produced the albums "Swing Session" and "Whispering Grass." They still play their delightful, tight swing that spans the 1930s to the 1950s, their "genuine" swing sound is as strong as ever, Peter "Pops" Walsh's vocals are wonderfully bluesy, and "Little David" Rose's original tunes just keep getting better.

This album is probably their most varied to date, covering a lot of territory and styles, but placing their own distinct stamp on each one. The track details are as follows (a * indicates an original piece by a bandmember):

1. Oh Marie
2. Mary Had a Little Lamb
3. Whistle Stop
4. A Woman's Intuition *
5. Close Shave
6. Without You Here *
7. You Can Depend on Me
8. That's Earl, Brother *
9. Mondine *
10. That Wig's Gotta Go *
11. Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night
12. Can't Find My Baby * [misprinted as 'Fine' on cover]
13. Rug Cutter's Swing
14. Dream
15. Knock Me a Kiss
16. Juke Box Judy
17. Along the Navajo Trail

The first thing I have to say about the album is how impressed I am with "Little David" Rose's originals. He's done good original tunes on the past two albums, but these are his best so far. Three of the most exciting, danceable pieces are from his pen: "That's Earl, Brother," a funny Louis Jordan-style number; "Mondine," with its infectious driving rhythm and Pops's wonderful, yearning vocal; and the start-and-stop blues number "That Wig's Gotta Go," which again show's Little David's talent for humorous lyrics.

The band tackles a few extremely well-known swing pieces from legends Louis Jordan and Louis Prima (two huge influecnes on the band): "Oh Marie," "Knock Me a Kiss," and "Whistle Stop." They impress on all of them, and good ole' Pops proves he can sing just about any style and do justice to the original. They also perform a classic 1930s instrumental from Fletcher Henderson on "Rug Cutter's Swing." This will sweep you right back to the earliest days of dancing and get your feet moving.

But the two favorites on this knock-out disc are "Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night" and "Along the Navajo Trail." The first, a transcription from an R&B vocal group The Five Red Caps, is going to be the big DJ hit from the album, I'm sure. It's fast, smooth, with cool vocals and a hypnotic dance beat. The second is not really a dance piece at all, but a slow, atmospheric nod to the influence of the Hollywood Western on swing music. It's a beautiful mood piece, and Pops again shows what a remarkable singer he is. As Little David notes in his extremely informative liner notes: "Los Angeles' Central Avenue music scene in the 1940s was, in its own way, as culturally diverse as Harlem's of the 1920s," and this final song shows it.

Fans of swing will not want to miss this, but you don't have to be a dancer to love this album. Do you like old time rock? Do you like 30s jazz? Like the blues? Like country? You'll find something to love here, so buy it.

Reviewer: Ryan Harvey "Wolf Shadow" (Los Angeles, CA USA)