Brian Setzer - Christmas Extravaganza (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I saw the Brian Setzer Orchestra two years back when they did a Christmas show here in Wisconsin, and I'm seeing them this holiday season as well, so I figured this would be a great disc to buy. And was I ever right! This disc does a much better job of capturing the fun atmosphere and high energy music of the band than their previous DVD release did. The band sounds just as good as they do on both of their Christmas CD's, and watching the band mambers get into the music while playing it, makes it even more fun for the viewer. The highlight of the disc (and of their live show in general) is when they play the "Nutcracker Suite" for an encore. While often considered a "novelty" swing band, the Nutcracker really shows that all members of the band are world-class musicians first and foremost. It was good to see a few non-Christmas Setzer classics in the playlist, but "Rumble in Brighton" and "Fishnet Stockings" seem odd choices for a Christmas show. Overall, great Christmas fun for all viewers, and I highly recommend it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brian Setzer - Christmas Extravaganza (2005)

Filmed December 18, 2004 at L.A's sold-out Universal Amphitheatre, its is easily the best video presentation of the Brian Setzer Orchestra ever. A 1-hour-and-40-minute concert, plus behind the scenes b-roll footage, including a first-time look at Brian Setzer and his orchestrator composing a chart from scratch. Track Listings:Dig that Crazy Santa Claus, This Cat's On A Hot Tin Roof, Boogie Woogie Christmas, Dirty Boogie, Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Back in Town, Caravan, Pipeline, Stray Cat Strut/You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch, Jump Jive An' Wail, Zat You Santa Claus?, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Run Rudolph run, Gene & Eddie, Blue Christmas, Rat Pack Boogie, Fishnet Stockings, Rock This Town, Nutcracker Suite, Rumble in Brighton, Gettin' In the Mood.

Click here for more information about Brian Setzer - Christmas Extravaganza (2005)

Christmas Rocks: The Best of Collection Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let's face it, more than a few of us need a little Prozac during the holidays and this disk might just be the ticket. Brian Setzer does a very upbeat Christmas.
This is a compilation of his previous two Christmas CDs, so if you have them, you may not 'need' this one. I have one of the two, so I felt free to buy.
Favorites:
Jingle Bell Rock
Is that you, Santa Claus
To add to all of this, the CD is a very generous 20 tracks which is about twice what we are getting now in this age of iTunes and packaged disks.
Rebecca Kyle, December 2008

Click Here to see more reviews about: Christmas Rocks: The Best of Collection

The Brian Setzer Orchestra has established a new standard by which holiday albums are judged. They struck a major chord with audiences everywhere and catapulted the super-charged 18 piece Big Band into a Christmas franchise via their annual sold out holiday tour. This magnificent collection is a combination of the very best tracks from their two holiday releases, paired with two previously unreleased tracks plus two seasonal selections from his 2007 materpiece Wolfgang's Big Night Out.

Click here for more information about Christmas Rocks: The Best of Collection

Ditty Bops Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Sometimes in the musical world, it seems like innovation is dead and new musical sounds are impossible. That all we'll ever get is endless regurgitation of past musical glories.
Then we hear a band like the Ditty Bops.
The quirky duo's debut album is a playful, whimsical collection of offbeat pop-folk, with an edge of carnival cuteness. This is an album where a bluesy melody can suddenly be broken by a strange merry-go-round sound, and where harmonies are the rule. In other words, all rules go out the window.
At their core, most of these are just acoustic guitar pop. Acoustic with a twist: some are catchy, some are bluesy, folky, country, and even alt-rocky in the banjo-laden rocker "There's A Girl." Surprisingly, all of these different styles fit together almost seamlessly.
But the guitar pop is not the main thing that makes the Ditty Bops charming. Actually, they would be fairly boring if it weren't... well, dressed up a little. What gives their songs an element of charm is the offbeat songwriting and the odd music -- they have everything from keyboard washes to dulcimer, mandolin to trombone and banjo.
And yet, the most charming aspect of the Ditty Bops is the old-fashioned vibe. Maybe it's the vocal harmonies, or the folky melodies. But the album has the sound of a long-lost folk-pop album that got buried, and only recently was dug up and released. Yes, even with songs about dried blood, marital murder, modern soullessness, and a "mechanical lady with her garden hose waters the cement."
Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett both do vocal duty. At the same time. Yes, they manage to harmonize on every single song, on virtually every note. They sound refreshingly sweet, no matter how strange their songs are. "But me, I'd rather plant a tree/that grows up tall for all to see/until I need a pencil/then I'll chop it to the ground."
The Ditty Bops manage to be charming, cute, edgy and funny -- all on the same album. Definitely a memorable and fun debut.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ditty Bops

When Mitchell Froom (Suzanne Vega, Crowded House, Elvis Costello) produces a debut album, it is well worth taking notice. Thanks to their strangely beautiful voices, magnetic personalities, brilliant playing,bizarre storytelling and stunningly diverse range,The Ditty Bops -the duo of Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald -earned his attention. A musical celebration embracing everything from contemporary folk pop to ragtime to musical theater, their self-titled debut is as gloriously unique as their name.

Click here for more information about Ditty Bops

Don't Mess With A Big Band: Live Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In a recent online poll Brian Setzer was voted "The World"s Greatest Living Guitarist". If you are skeptcal about this I urge you to check out the phenomenal new double disc album "The Brian Setzer Orchestra: Don't Mess With A Big Band". Recorded during the band's 2009 tour of Japan "Don't Mess With A Big Band" offers up 19 exciting and innovative tracks including some old time rock and roll, a few swing numbers and a boatload of Setzer's favorite genre rockabilly. I rarely buy "live" recordings but this one was a "must" purchase as soon as I learned about it.
Word has it that Brian Setzer has a huge guitar collection spanning many decades and brands. He is known to prefer the vintage models and Brian put a number of them through their paces during the group's tour of Japan. "Jaw-dropping" is the term the record company uses to describe Brian's guitar work on this album. I would most certainly agree! There are so many highlights on these discs but I would have to single out Brian's amazing interpretation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's classical piece "Flight of the Bumblebee". "Honey Man" features what has to be the most amazing piece of guitar work that I have ever heard. Listen and see if you agree! Meanwhile, the balance of the orchestra is on top of their game throughout as well. As always the brass section is terrific and I actually enjoyed their work every bit as much. Among my favorite tracks on Disc One are "Batman" (the original ABC- TV series theme), the swingin' sound of "The Dirty Boogie" and the group's remake of the 1958 Eddie Cochran classic "Summertime Blues" which is quite true to the original. Great stuff!
But I liked Disc Two even more! From the earliest days of his career Brian Setzer's first love has been rockabilly and the entire second disc is devoted to this genre. Each and every one of these ten tracks is a winner. You can tell that the Japanese audience just eats up this stuff. "Gene and Eddie" is a tribute to rockabilly pioneers Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. What a super tune! And Stray Cats fans will be happy to hear that several of the group's most popular numbers including "Stray Cat Strut", "Rock This Town" and of course "Jump, Jive An' Wail" are included here as well. I found that it is virtually impossible to sit still while this album is playing.
"The Brian Setzer Orchestra: Don't Mess With A Big Band" includes a nicely done 12 page booklet featuring s number of remarkable photos from the Japanese tour. My first instincts proved to be right. This is an album definitely worth owning and something I will listen to again and again. Very highly recommended!



Click Here to see more reviews about: Don't Mess With A Big Band: Live

"Don't Mess With A Big Band" is a sizzling recording of The Brian Setzer Orchestra's 2009 tour of Japan. Brian is in rare form and the display of guitar-playing (raw and live as it was played on the night) is truly jaw-dropping! The album contains all of his biggest hits (Stray Cats & The Brian Setzer Orchestra) and includes a couple of rare gems that he had never previously performed live.

Click here for more information about Don't Mess With A Big Band: Live

It's Not Big It's Large Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Closer in sound to "Lyle Lovett and His Large Band" and "Joshua Judges Ruth" than the last couple of albums, Lovett is clearly in his comfort zone when it comes to mixing so many diverse styles from big band, elements of jazz, country and acoustic folkie ruminations on life, love and death. "It's Not Big It's Large" continues on in the vein of those other albums and is a terrific recordings with top notch songs.
Fans may want to be aware that there is also a deluxe edition with a DVD. This features performances of the songs woven into a documentary about the making of the album. If you're a huge Lovett fan you may want to pick this up vs. the regular CD version.
Opening with the a cover of Lester Young's "Tickle Toe" and moving quickly into the gospel tinged "I Will Rise Up/Ain't No More Cane" (the latter part of the medley is reprised at the end along with an acoustic performance of "Up in Indiana", just about every song from the jazzy sounding "No Big Deal" to "Don't Cry a Tear" opening with the moody sounds of steel and acoustic guitar can hold their own with his best material.
The witty "It's All Downhill" name checks his compatriots Joe Ely, John Hiatt and Guy Clark (they toured as part of a singer/songwriter package together). The name check is more than tip of the hat to these other soulful singer/songwriters as he also thanks them in the credits. There's no doubt that Lovett's peers gave him feedback on the songs he composed for this album. Clark himself makes a guest appearence on "South Texas Girl" one of the songs with the strongest country flavor.
While this album doesn't break any new ground in terms of the sound or style (clearly Lovett has found his niche sound and it works well for him), it's ultimately the quality of the songs themselves that sells "It's Not Big It's Large". Packaged in a digipak holder with a booklet featuring lyrics, this is a strong album from Lovett.
-Wayne Klein

Click Here to see more reviews about: It's Not Big It's Large

While music should be and is open for interpretation by the listener, Lovett's new album, IT'S NOT BIG IT'S LARGE, suggests notions of mortality, loss and the fluidity of time.In many of the songs, the past intrudes on the present and the narrator finds strength to deal with the travails of today by putting them into historical perspective.That sounds like heavy-going, but its Lovett's gift to make the deep thoughts slide down like honey.

Click here for more information about It's Not Big It's Large