Hot
Gene's Jazz Hot
self published

This infectious CD carries a sort of sub-title, and believe me, truer words were never writ! They are ‘Seriously Happy, Swinging Music’, and I declare it’s impossible to listen without a smile on your face throughout. These folks love what they’re doing, and it shows! It’s not over-rehearsed or produced, not anything remotely resembling canned in any way. It’s just pure fun. Happy sounding and happy listening fun!

Four veteran musicians make up the band, beginning with Gene Epstein on bass. She sings and is the graphic designer for the band, including the CD insert. Gene’s sort of the founder of the group, too. Bill Kenney triples on clarinet, vocals and humor. He writes books about jazz history in his spare time. Peggi Cella sings jazz and blues and scat in a throaty, understandable voice. Seth Rosen is a guitarist and vocalist who throws in some mandolin riffs every now and then. Of course, each of them is involved with other local groups as well. (More info on the CD insert.)

Sit back and smile as you listen to the fifteen tunes—fifteen acoustic tunes!!!—on this CD.

It Don't Mean a Thing starts off with the verse. The verse, for goodness’ sake! How rare is that? They all take turns scatting around a bit, but there’s seriously good clarinet riffs in and around the vocals. Seth gets top billing as vocalist here, but Peggi does her share, too. Fly Me to the Moon is primarily Peggi. Lady Be Good features lots of old-time clarinet improvisations and vocals by Bill. Summertime is mostly just Peggi with bass and bluesy clarinet behind her. Not every song written for the opera house lends itself so well to a jazz interpretation!

All of Me features Bill on clarinet after which his whisky voice can be heard singing in French as well as English! Listen hard and you’ll hear Peggi scattin’ away in the background. Shades of Eartha Kitt! Nuages (Clouds) again features Bill on clarinet with Seth’s guitar providing easy, easy background listening. The languid Sleepytime Down South then provides Seth with a chance to demonstrate the meaning of the title. (Bill even does a mean turn as the steam whistle on a river boat!)

My Blue Heaven gives Bill most of the vocals, but also impressive instrumental riffs, accompanied in a grand manner by Seth and Gene in an extended solo. Peggi swings in Don't Get Around Much Anymore, while Seth and Bill take turns romping behind her. The faster paced Running Wild gives Bill’s fingers the opportunity to run wild up and down the fingerboard of his clarinet, or to sing while he’s resting.

For several years the group had been having fun with A Chicken Ain’t Nothin’ but a Bird, but Seth suddenly realized that it might not be terribly appropriate for their vegetarian home, Café Limbo. Gene solved the problem with a new line, resulting in a humorous take-off, called Tofu Ain't Nothin' but a Curd.

Peggi does the vocals in Wild Women Don't Get the Blues, while the hard-driving guitar chords of Seth set the mood and some plaintive notes from Bill’s clarinet provide atmosphere. Spring Cleaning was never so much fun as listening to Seth on vocals while his cohorts cheerfully back him up.

Moscow Nights showcases Gene in her only credited vocal effort, appropriately enough, in Russian, natch! Her plaintive voice puts you right there on the banks of the Moscow River. Her string bass may be heard in the background, along with Seth’s guitar and Bill’s clarinet, and a bit of scat from Peggi. This is a classic, indeed. Slow and easy is the only way to describe A Hundred Years from Today in this rendition. Peggi gives a master class in expression, joined by the rest of the group.

Kudos to George Faddoul for the brilliant and lively recording and engineering. It’s crystal clear.

Listeners of a certain age will have no trouble whatsoever in recalling the lyrics to these standards even when no one is singing them! HOT is a marvelous album, joyful and fun, and one that can be listened to over and over and over, and bring back happy memories every time. I’ll bet that even youngsters will appreciate the visit to yesteryear. (Hint: it would make a grand and very appreciated gift for the grandparents!)

The CD Release Party on Thursday, August 17, 2006, is free and open to all from 6-8 pm at Loganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights, Ohio, 216-795-9800). Gene's Jazz Hot will play selections from the CD between 6:30 and 7:30, and refreshments will be served. CDs will be available for purchase ($15 each) and autographing. If you can’t attend, call and reserve a copy for yourself. You’ll be happy you did!

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net

 (:divend:)