David Gasten has compiled a collection of vintage music for his This Is Vintage Now album which features many genres from jump blues, to easy listening, to exotica to his own band David Gasten and the City Kids.
Any listener that likes to hear a variety of music on one album will be thrilled to listen to this album.
THIS IS VINTAGE NOW – Compiled by David Gasten
BEVERLY KENNEY – Tea For Two – The album starts off with a classic jazz vocal rendition of Beverly Kenney singing Tea for Two. This song is perfect for listening on a cold winter night, as you listen to Beverly Kenney singing in a perfectly understated voice, that lets the listener enjoy the warmth of her voice, giving the impression she is singing to the listener. The musical accompaniment plays softly, in the background, leaving the listener to hear each word of the lyrics clearly. This track is my personal favorite on the album since I grew up in the era when this kind of music was at the zenith of its popularity.
BIG JAY MCNEELY – Get On Up And Boogie (Parts 1, 2 and 3) – The second track is the direct opposite of the first track, as Big Jay McNeely rocks out on Get On Up And Boogie, a fast tempo roadhouse style blues song, that jumps from start to finish. This is the kind of song where nobody will be slow dancing to, because it is meant to be danced to fast and furiously. Only skilled musicians can play this fast,without missing some notes, since this song’s frenetic pace leaves no margin for error, but Big Jay McNeely and his band are up to the task. You will notice some excellent horn work on this track. Don’t be surprised if after listening to this track, that you will want to play it again.
CARO EMERALD – Just One Dance – This young lady, Caro Emerald is a 30 year old Dutch singer, who sings Just One Dance on the album. Her voice is mesmerizing on this track, as this track reminds me of music from the 80’s. Caro switches from being louder in some parts to being much softer sounding in other parts. After listening to this track, you will want to search You Tube for more of her music. There is no question of if she will make it big, but when. Her current schedule shows no trips to the United States through the first week of September. Her career will really take off when she tours the United States. Remember the name Caro Emerald, because you will be hearing more of her music in the future.
ILANA CHARNELLE – Piece – Music fans who like slower music will enjoy this haunting song named Piece sung by Ilana Charnelle. The sparse background music highlights the distinct tone of Ilana’s voice. You will want to hear more of her music, after listening to this track. The well-written lyrics, mesh very well with her voice. Ilana can be found on Facebook and Twitter and she responds to the posts of others on her page, unlike some other artists who post very infrequently. The sky is the limit for Ilana, as more and more music fans find her music. We have not heard the last from Ilana Charnelle and hope the Australian vocalist will be touring in the United States sooner, rather than later.
THE PHAROHS – Tears On My Pillow – Little Anthony and the Imperials took Tears on My Pillow to No.1 in 1958 and has been covered many times. This version by the Pharohs is closer to the original than covers sung by many other artists. It also reminds me of the time when rock and roll was only four or five years old, when this song was popular. So it is good that the Pharohs have recorded this song, even though it is now 53 years old. If you want to go back in time for three minutes and some change, this song will take you back again to the 50’s.
THE WAITIKI 7 – Similau – Exotica music is one of the rarest genres of music found today, so it is exciting to know that Waitiki 7 is bringing back the music, of Martin Denny and other exotica artists recorded over forty years ago. The jungle sounds on the track bring back great memories of when we could imagine being in a faraway jungle, enjoying the sounds of birds and other sounds of the jungle. It is good to know, that The Waitiki 7 are keeping the exotica genre alive and you will enjoy hearing this exotica music as much as you enjoyed hearing Martin Denny music many years ago.
DAVID GASTEN AND THE CITY KIDS – The Deacon Don’t Like It – The voice of David Gasten is what makes this song great. He has a unique voice that doesn’t sound like any other singer today. David has a great band backing up his vocals. You will want to hear more David Gasten music after hearing The Deacon Don’t Like It. I look for David and his band to be better known, once they can get some of their music on You Tube. The background singers add a lot to the vocals by singing their parts well. David Gasten and the City Kids have a bright future. It is just a matter of being in the right place at the right time, to be heard by the right people and to have some internet exposure.
CAROLE CREVELING – Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea – This may be a short track lasting barely over two minutes but Carole Creveling makes the most of the short time singing Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea as well, if not better, than other singer who has recorded it. It was first recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931 making it 80 years old this year. Carole wasn’t intimidated by the history of the song and performs it well on this track in an up tempo style.
BLAKE JONES AND THE TRIKE SHOP – If Hawthorne Were Foggy – The instrumental If Hawthorne Were Foggy is an easy listening track that features excellent orchestration. Sounds like an xylophone is being used during parts of the song, which gives the instrumental a very soft sound. The Fresno, California group is planning a return trip to England soon.
THE NECRO-TONZ – Fare Thee Well And Go To Hell – The Necro-Tonz sound is a distinct sound as Fare Thee Well And Go To Hell starts off with a 34 second musical introduction before the vocal starts. The song is about a girl who is not happy with her lover and wants him gone and minces no words in saying it in the song. The horns kick in at the last part of the song. This group is focused on bringing back jazz and cocktail music, but not in the traditional sense. Their idea of jazz and cocktail music is more along the lines of reviving the sounds of extinct bands.
The album has not been released yet but clips can be found of the songs at:
http://www.reverbnation.com/thisisvintagenow
Nostalgia and Now 