Jump
4 Joy
Cutest Lil' Boogie
Since
1990, Sweden's Jump 4 Joy have been swinging in clubs and at various
music festivals across Europe. And despite living an ocean away
from the birthplace of jazz, these cats do boogie-woogie old school
style. Cutest Lil' Boogie (Last Buzz Records), Jump 4 Joy's
fourth release, pays homage to the classic 1940s-1950s blues legends
in the vein of Big Joe Turner, Fats Domino, and Louis Jordan.
Completely
guitar-free, Cutest Lil' Boogie is supported solely by
piano, bass, drums and saxophone. The album opens with two high-speed
numbers, "Shake Shake" and "Jump For Joy," followed by the super-smooth
boogie shuffle "Three Times a Fool" that's bound to fill the dance
floors. Ranging from fast-paced boogie to midtempo shuffles and
slow walkers, Cutest Lil' Boogie is a fair follow up to
the band's year 2000 release Keep It Up, although the new
album seems to shift midstream. Halfway through the album, the
ensemble's motivation seems to have waned and the music becomes
more two- dimensional. "Snuff Dipping Mamma," "Just Cause I Left
You," "Tee Nah Nah" and "True Love" pull down an otherwise strong
collection. Although I still have high hopes for Jump 4 Joy, I
feel like I only got a sample of what they are capable of on Cutest
Lil' Boogie.
-Smilin' Buddha Joe
Visit
the band at www.jump4joy.nu
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