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We're going to try something a little different here...SWING!!!
Holy shit! I saw a kick-ass show June 27 at Bar One by the Brooklynites-to-the-core boys of Dem Brooklyn Bums, playing their own version of Puttin on the Ritz, and our Tom and Jerry favorite Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby (or whatever the real name of that song is).
Are they a good swing band compared to other swing bands? I have no clue. At the very least, I can say that they are the best swing band I've ever seen. Now, I don't know anything about swing music. All I know is what sounds good to me and whethor or not a band gets my feet tapping and my butt swaying. I do know that I danced my ass off last Saturday night. Do I know how to swing dance? Huh-uh, but like the singer commented to a friend of mine that wasn't dancing - swing dance was started by people that didn't know how to dance. So, I flung my arms around, kicked my feet, twirled a bit, and a swing dancer was born (me). I just couldn't help myself...and neither could half the rest of the bar.
Each member of the band had a solo part in the show to show off their talent. Again, in terms of swing, I don't know what they're supposed to sound like, but they sounded good to me. The singer's voice is not that great, but so what! The voice was not the highlight of the music. The horns were incredible, notably the trumpet. He hit the high notes like he wasn't even trying. The saxophonist played some pretty complicated scores too - his fingers flew over his instrument at some parts. When the three horn players played together, the sound was heaven. They synchronized with each other and even dipped their knees together. The music was energetic and the band played well together - they were tight.
The no-contest best part of the show was saved for last - the baseball bat song (if I ever find out the name, I'll let you know). The drummer played a solo on his drums and the singer repeated the beat by playing drums on the stage floor with baseball bats. Sound like a bunch of noise? Hell no! It sounded great! I couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing. I actually stopped my frenzied dancing and dropped my mouth open in amazement to watch him beat up the floor. It was STOMP all over again! (I do, however, wonder how the bar owner felt about it.)
Rating: It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
The Boys:
| Broccoli Rob Cittadino: | Vocals, Bass (the big cello kind - not guitar). He's got one helluva Brooklyn accent. It matched his wing-tipped shoes and fedora-like hat. Could he be from Bensonhurst? |
| Timmy Pimento Clemente: | Guitar. |
| Dave "Canarsie Kid" Levitt: | Trombone. |
| Paulie "Pierogis" Brandenburg: | Trumpet. I don't know how he hits those high notes. He looks real young. I wonder if he is old enough to drink at the bars that he plays in. |
| Bernard Ullrich: | Saxaphone. |
| Richie Zukor: | Drums. He was good. He held the beat well and added some cool sounding flairs of his own now and then. |
Dem Brookyn Bums tip of the Month: See them for their baseball bat song, the singer's heavy Brooklyn accent, some kickin solos, and swingswingswing music! Swing Heil!
Booking and contact info: (212) 388-8073