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Casey MacGill
& The Spirits Of Rhythm
Jump
 Until
now, few people living outside the Pacific Northwest have
had the pleasure of hearing Casey MacGill & The Spirits
of Rhythm, truly one of the hottest big bands to make the
scene since swing first came into fashion more than half a
century ago. But with the release of their long-awaited first
album, "Jump," the band is about to take the rest
of the nation by storm.
From
start to finish, the album grabs the listener by the ears,
swingin’ like the dickens with quality musicianship and
authentic sound, but still maintaining a ‘90s edge. Casey
MacGill proves that new tunes can be composed in a small combo
format, with a vitality, and ingenuity that ultimately sets
his band apart from the rest of the neo-swing pack.
After
a bit of opening dialogue that could have been lifted straight
from a 1940s gangster movie, Casey and his crew rip into a
smokin’ rendition of "Swing Brother, Swing,"
one of only three cover tracks on the CD. The other seven
tunes are original compositions by Casey himself, including
the second number, "Rhythm," which will make your
heart rate shoot straight into the red zone. The tempos vary
throughout the album, from the smooth rolling beats of "Late
Night Swing" to the sweet ballad "Love Ain’t
Nothin’ But the Blues." But most notable are the
medium tempo numbers, particularly "Whaddya Want,"
featuring the deliciously guttural and soulful vocals of Miss
Lee Lee. Another sweet rollicking original, "I’m
Gonna Love You Tonight," starts and ends with the warm
familiar scratch and pop of needle on vinyl, adding to the
album’s authentic sound.
Lindy
hoppers will delight in the range of tempos, most of which
fall between the 130 and 195 BPM range. (As a courtesy to
dance fanatics, the BPMs for each track are listed in the
liner notes.) The webfoots in the Pacific Northwest herald
Casey MacGill and the Spirits of Rhythm as the most danceable
swing band around, and even Frankie Manning claims they’re
one of his personal faves, so put your Seattle grunge rock
back on the shelf and get a hold of "Jump."
-
Chad "DJ Chops" Kincaid
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