I'd be willing to bet Tim Casey and his Bluescats put on a great live show. But the economics of touring with anything larger than a trio these days makes it unlikely they'll be setting my town on fire anytime soon. Pity. 'Cause while "Rockin', Jumpin', Swingin' The Blues," the band's fourth outing, would serve as a fine souvenir, it falls just a little short as a stand-alone project.
That's not to say there's anything at all wrong here. Mining the 'little big band' territory, Tim's proves himself a fine guitarist, favouring a snarling tone that adds a contemporary tone to the material, most of which dates from the era when jump blues was popular the first time 'round. He's not the strongest singer but acquits himself adequately enough, his enthusiasm, for the most part, making up for any shortcomings. The horns - a four-piece section, no less - are gloriously big and brassy, and the arrangements make excellent use of their power and punch. The rhythm section's fine, and both piano and organ are used to fill out the sound. And best of all, everyone's clearly having a wonderful time - fitting, as these are definitely good-time blues.
Material includes chestnuts like Roy Brown's "Beautician Blues" and the old Bullmoose Jackson novelty number, "Big Ten Inch." The opener, "Rocket To The Moon" comes from Canada's Colin James, appearing on one of James' own Little Big Band discs, and the last song is a fun "Birthday Boogie" courtesy of Louis Jordan. Drummer Don Montana seems to be the band's only songwriter, contributing a pair that fit right in, including the sultry "Sexy Swing." Inventiveness is on display with a radically reworked version of Arthur Crudup's "That's Allright" (yup, the one that made Elvis famous!), here done with furious energy as a 'train song.'
So with so much to like, why doesn't this outing qualify as essential listening? Well, the band, while competent, are essentially a club act. They don't really add anything to tunes that have been done a million times. And there are too many times here where things are just a little flat - "Kansas City" is lifeless, and the sax player who sings "Big Ten Inch" isn't anywhere near powerful enough to pull it off. Ultimately, the band is just a little too good-timey to matter much beyond a single play.
Again, I'd no doubt go see Tim Casey And The Bluescats should the opportunity arise, and I'd probably walk out with at least one more of their discs (there are three others, as well as a DVD) as a souvenir. But there are only so many listening hours in a day, and I can't help but think, ultimately, they'd be better spent elsewhere.
Bluescat Productions
8607 NE 135th Street, Kirkland, WA 98034
Phone: (425) 820-4387
Web: www.timcaseybluescats.com
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