 Various Artists I had the great pleasure of playing a cut off this disc at a wedding I was DJing at the height of the swing craze – I put on Joe Turner's "Jumpin' Tonight" right after the obligatory Brian Setzer "Jump, Jive & Wail," and the floor almost cleared before people realized it was a jump blues tune. Of course, you can't expect the typical wedding crowd to be hip in the least, but this was a case of robotic programming precluding actual thought. Here I was playing a song that was hipper, hotter, and altogether far better for dancing than the stupid Brian Setzer song, and people didn't know what to do with themselves. I just shook my head and wished there were a way to convert a wedding audience over to real music … to listen to the music rather than just wait for the expected cues. But that's quixotic ol' me trying to change the world again. In my world, this compilation would be standard wedding fare for years to come. Hm, but then I suppose I'd have to be into 90s swing bands just to be contrary? I guess I never win in either world. Jumpin' Like Mad is a killer collection of primarily jump blues, meticulously assembled by Billy Vera, who can now be forgiven for "At This Moment" now that he's redeemed himself as the preeminent blues compilation producer. Pretty much every track is a gem, and although the set overall will probably just frustrate the newlyweds who are practicing their pathetic swing dancing, real music-hounds will devour it like a fat kid in a swimming pool filled with Oreos: full up to choking, vomiting, more desperate chomping, more vomiting, then ultimately death itself arriving to cap off the sweet, heart-stopping madness. That is to say, the two discs taken in one sitting might be a bit too much, though each disc individually is marvelous. I can't say I like to dance to it, especially since a disfiguring car crash has left me on permanently attached stilts, and someone in that situation is hardly ever seeking out extra opportunities to draw attention to oneself. But I love to put it on the ol' hi-fidelity and let the music move my heart and soul … just like Huey Lewis!!!!!! Ahem. I hope that was taken as a joke. Further more, I hope it was a joke – I sure would hate to get to heaven and find out that Huey Lewis was #3 on my overall Favorite Musicians of My Lifetime scroll. Anyway, this is the real deal, great ol' jump blues, shuffles, rebop, boogie-woogie, and plain ol' shake-yo-fat-fanny music. Joe Turner, Ella Mae Morse, Cootie Williams, Jimmy Liggins, Calvin Boze … not really household names, but this is hardly obscure stuff either. These songs made jukeboxes explode and people's feet fall off from pure joy. Big big names are in the house, too: Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole, Lester Young, Helen Humes, and yes, your best friends Louis Prima and Sam Butera. The track selection couldn't be better, the flow is terrific, and the liner notes are almost as fun as the music. If you ain't dancin' by the time Betty Hall Jones' "The Joint's Too Hip For Me" comes on, man, you must be one of them wither-leg cripples. Big big favorites: "I Ain't Drunk" by Jimmy Liggins ("I ain't drunk/I'm just drinkin'"), Nellie Lutcher's sassy "Fine Brown Frame," Jesse Price's "Jump it With a Shuffle," – the list goes on and on. Disc one closes with a series of alcohol songs (don't miss "Marihuana Boogie" by Lalo Guerrero), a cheeky move that works. Disc 2 is a bit less top-heavy with total crazy-goodness, but it ain't slackin' neither. I rate this a bit lower than it probably deserves simply because I think I've actually listened to it too much and I'm tired of it now. At 51 tracks it's a whole lotta jumpin' for your joint, but I recommend it as essential to any lover of this joyful music. Ideally, everyone who owns a Brian Setzer or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy disc would be forced to trade it in for this, but then I guess those in the know wouldn't be the only real hipsters anymore. If you ever hear it at a wedding, be assured the DJ is trying to break through the brainwashing. Admire that, then go back to drunkenly hitting on underage cousins.
Review by Wimpemy Tarl |