Keely
Smith
Swing, Swing, Swing
Discovered
as a teenager by the already legendary Louis Prima, Keely Smith
has been doing the swing thing for more than 50 years. And by
the sound of it, those years have not only been kind, they have
been extraordinary. Keelys voice still maintains all the
youthful spirit and power that made her one of Americas
most beloved jazz vocalists, and on her new album Swing, Swing,
Swing, she sails through 16 classics with vim and verve. You wont
find a more uplifting, enchanting CD anywhere.
Backed
by the 17-piece Frankie Capp Orchestra, Keely sounds practically
giddy on songs like Let the Good Times Roll, Kansas
City, and her biggest hit with husband Louis, Jump,
Jive an Wail. Props also to pianist and conductor
Dennis Michaels for the delightfully light way he tickles the
ivories, especially on Keelys Boogie. Tenor
saxman Pete Christlieb, trombonist Andy Martin, trumpeter Pete
Candoli, and saxophonists Joel Peskin and Don Menza also turn
in high-powered solos that will leave you simply floored. The
band is ultra-tight, as are the arrangements, with more than half
the songs coming in at less than three minutes. With her joyful
singing and playful scats, Keely returns triumphant to reclaim
her crown as the queen of Vegas swing.
-
Leslie Rosenberg
|