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Great arrangements!

rick from Boston | 10/31/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The band sounds great on this disc. The arrangments are great and guaranteed to get your feet tapping! And lets face it,that is what swing music is all about. Tapping the feet! But, then the vocals come on and the singer just doesn't have a strong enough voice to pull it off. In my opinion, it hurts the overall impact of the recording. But if it gets a few people into the music of Cab Calloway, then good!!

The songs are fun and deserve to be heard again.

Now get out your copy of Stormy Weather and watch Cab in all his glory!"

Great fun swinging to BBVD's take on Cab

Fiona Reavley | 09/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having been a fan of BBVD ever since 1997 when I saw them in Vegas, I was pleased to buy this and get it delivered to the UK, and listen to their latest sounds - or rather that of Cab Calloway songs.

Not all the songs are what are commonly put on the Cab Calloway compilations in the UK market, so it was great to hear some fresh Cab songs, and also hear BBVD's interpretation of the more familiar ones.

The initial track 'Come On With The Come On' starts with a swinging blast and inspires dancing straight away!! Lovely vocals and harmonies on this, with BBVD's customary flair with the faster beat. Piano introduction to the next track ' Calloway Boogie' makes a delightful contrast and takes the tempo to a nice relaxed pace too, whilst still sounding tight. But then you speed back up to 'The Call Of The Jitterbug' which is just as it should be - played with considerable skill at a fast pace, and Scotty Morris' vocal comes in over the top just right - I have no idea when he gets to breath though!

The title track midway through is where I instantly feel the Cotton Club influence, slightly sleazy atmosphere (as it were), which is superbly played by the band. Following it is a song I've never heard before 'The Old Man Of The Moutain' which is a bit stompy in the style, but a good track nonetheless, and very reminiscent of the Cab numbers.

I've heard versions of 'The Ghost of Smokey Joe' before (my fave probably remaining the very different Lee Press-On & The Nails from 2000) and I did like the BBVD treatment, a little easier to hear the lyrics of, and a medium-tempo, with the drama the song naturally contains being expressed very well.

For those who like a fast tempo, then you really want the 'Reefer Man' to get you moving - a fab drums intro from Kurt Sodergren, and the horns matching Dirk Shumaker's bass rhythm which is keeping everything moving smoothly onwards.

The most 'traditional' Cab version on the album has to be 'Minnie The Moocher' - the horns, especially The Kid on trumpet, give it a great sound, and Scotty sings this with close adherence to the original perfection of the song. And then, you get a slight change and the BBVD sound starts to make a little invasion, just updating the overall feel to it, just that little bit.

'Tarzan Of Harlem' finishes the album off in great swinging style, and gives an infectious beat straight away - smoother than other tracks as you feel almost a Hollywood movie dance routine underplaying this, and can imagine Fred & Ginger dancing, with an instrumental break midway to provide a lovely change. It just shows how well BBVD and the extra musicians have this style sorted out.

BBVD's albums usually have a great mix of swinging tunes, sweet melodies and rombustiousness, and this is definitely no exception, with this selection of their fave CC songs given a BBVD feel straight away. It's hard to make the famous 'The Jumpin' Jive' and 'Minnie The Moocher' different from the plethora of versions out there, but they seem to have found a way to give an very enjoyable listening experience in the process of making this audio tribute.

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