Music Review

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's This Beautiful Life

This Beautiful Life, the newest release from this venerable group of irreverent swing-meisters, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, is a worthy follow up to their break-out self-titled first effort. In fact, while listening toTBL, I kept thinking how great it would be to have both of these platters on a carousel and mix their cuts at random. Where BBVD is consistently hard hitting in that back-beat swing/LA Swing/whatever-you-want-to-call-it-swing, TBL offers more variation, if it is somewhat, dare I say, mellower. But again, all the more justification to see it as a companion to the first. And then there's the last cut, "Old MacDonald" (not listed on the back card, by the way). This is dedicated to "the late, great, Frank Sinatra". Imagine the starting line, "Old MacDonald had a chick.." and you'll realize that it doesn't take a Dean Martin to suss out where this tune's headed.

There are a couple of complaints, most notably in the mix. On first listen, I was looking for counter lines in the arrangements and was disappointed to not hear them. Upon closer analysis (I played it louder), I heard the saxes, but mixed way under the brass. Disappointing to be sure. But overall, not a fault that's worth banishing the entire CD from your shelf over. By the way, I enjoyed it.

Other points: good web site support (BBVD.com, of course), tasty piano solos on the part of Joshua Levy, always appropriately sassy vocals on the part of Scotty Morris, as well as most of the writing.

Recommended cigar: A spicy one, to be sure, with a firm ash, as you will find yourself tapping to the beat. A Padron Aneversario comes to mind. Save the La Flor Dominicana for Enya.

James Mironchik
New York, NY