All Things Swamp – Dressed
Little Village Foundation
www.littlevillagefoundation.com
8 Tracks – 34 minutes
Nine California musicians come together from different parts of the musical world on their days off to play songs based in the rhythms of New Orleans. They do this for their own enjoyment in informal sessions. Jim Pugh, the founder of the Little Village Foundation and Records seeks music that would not otherwise be heard beyond the artists’ families and immediate community. Jim produces, records, and releases the resulting CD. His foundation is a non-profit who gives back all the proceeds to the artist or to a designated charity. In the case of this recording, it is noted that all proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley.
Jim Pugh, who worked with Robert Cray for many years, joins the band playing the Hammond B3 organ. The other musicians involved with this band are Luke Kirley, the band’s music director and tuba player; Hollywood session musician Dean Parks on tenor sax and guitar; Aaron Lington, director of jazz studies at San Jose State University; Tim Hockenberry, who was a finalist on America’s Got Talent, on trombones and vocals; restaurateur Dan Gordon on bass trombone; Musical Director Dillon O’Brien, who wrote the theme song for TV’s The Office and has worked with a vast array of top musician’s including Brian Wilson, Joe Cocker, and Bonnie Raitt, plays piano and adds vocals; Brian Switzer, a jazz educator and trumpet player who is touring with Bob Weir; and seasoned session drummer Gary Novak. All nine have found the common ground of the music of New Orleans.
The album’s opening song, an instrumental “Sidewalk Strut”, written by Steve Masakowski and played by many New Orleans bands including the New Orleans Nightcrawlers in 1995, will have you looking for beads. Dean’s sax and Luke’s tuba get the lead on the song. Sam Williams’ funky instrumental “Bah- Duey-Duey” is next. The song was first recorded in 2006 by Big Sam’s Funky nation. Jim’s organ is the featured instrument. Brian’s trumpet is featured on the jazzy “Dancing Machine”, a song written by Hal Davis, Don Fletcher, and Dean Parks and originally recorded by The Jackson Five in 1973. Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, first recorded in 1967 by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, is next with Jim’s B3 again featured.
Tim Hockenberry provides the first vocal on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Rocking Chair”, which was originally sung by Matt Munro in 1962. The song is a slow jazzy blues, as he declares “that old rocking chair has got me”. Stanton Moore’s 1998 instrumental “Blues for Ben” is next, a funky song dominated by the horns. Dillon takes the vocal lead on Robert Palmer’s 1974 “How Much Fun”. The album closes with the Rebirth Brass Band’s 1992 instrumental “Take It to the Street”.
Anyone who needs an album for your next Mardi Gras party, this is one that could definitely come to the top of your playlist.
