Now here is a band that sounds just like a breath of fresh air on a muggy day. Opening with ‘Birdman of Barley Mow’ their good-time sound jumps out of the speakers, with a heady mixture of Brass and Jazz swing, coloured with barrelhouse beats and jiving grooves.
This strong number is quickly followed by more of the same on ‘Matassa’s Ice Cream Parlour’ and a pastiche New Orleans tribute to the great days of Dixieland Jazz.
We then veer off into a Salsa swing of ‘King of Wine’ rounded out with some tasty guitar runs from Carlo Matassa. On ‘The Great Outdoors’ we have a classic big band, dance hall arrangement with the double bass and drum beat laying down a classic tempo for the trumpet and saxophone solos.
‘Eynsham Witches’ has some dextrous Spanish guitar playing and a Gumbo of smouldering sounds that evoke an atmosphere of dark, Southern nights on the Bayou.
Lead singer Stuart Macbeth is credited with all music and lyrics and he sings with both originality and personality, while playing some very tasty piano.
This fine collection of 12 songs comes highly recommended and I can only wait with anticipation to catch these English troubadours on a live date. I am sure that they stir up a fine frenzy among those lucky enough to catch them.