Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

Tony Perkins - The Prettiest Girl In School (El; ACMEM135CD)

Before Norman Bates, before the international acclaim Anthony Perkins received for his lead role in Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking thriller Psycho, there was a young man named Tony Perkins who fancied himself a crooner. In 1956 and 1957, this callow youth recorded more than two dozen sides for the RCA and Epic labels, and scored a Top 30 hit with “Moonlight Swim.” Mixing light teen pop and adult standards, The Man Who Would Be Bates demonstrated a significant talent for song… READ MORE

Dewey Jackson featuring Don Ewell - Live At The Barrel 1952 (Delmark; DE 246)

Trumpeter Dewey Jackson is one of the great lost treasures of traditional jazz. Born in St. Louis at the turn of the last century, Jackson laid down some impressive sounds during his 66 years. Sadly, not many of them were recorded. This new release by Delmark triples Jackson’s discography… READ MORE

Bobby Darin - Early Bobby Darin (El Toro; ETCD1018)

Bobby Darin fans have been waiting a long time for these recordings to debut on CD. Previously only available on a rare, out-of-print MCA cassette, Darin’s 1956 and 1957 Decca sides offer a fascinating glimpse into the development of the legendary performer’s unique style. El Toro’s decision to couple Darin’s 8 Decca sides with 9 early Atco tracks is a brilliant one. Taken together, the Decca and Atco work represent a revealing portrait of the artist as a young man… READ MORE

Jimmy Bruno with Tony Miceli and Jeff Pedraz - Maplewood Avenue (Affiliated Artists; 3415)

Philadelphia jazz guitarist Jimmy Bruno’s Maplewood Avenue is a masterpiece of understatement. Eschewing his familiar aggressive style in favor of a more restrained approach, Bruno paints his guitar lines with delicate strokes, drawing subtle emotion and warmth out of the instrument… READ MORE

Jim Stafford - Jim Stafford (RPM; Retro 823)

Jim Stafford is a bona fide original. No one has ever looked at life or music in the same surreal way. Stafford’s self-titled 1974 debut LP was a masterpiece of novelty song writing, not to mention a welcome antidote to the easy listening acts crowding the airwaves at the time… READ MORE

The Robins - I Must Be Dreamin’ - The Robins on RCA, Crown and Spark, 1953-55 (El Toro R&B 111)

I Must Be Dreamin’, El Toro’s extensive collection of Robins singles, goes a long way toward dispelling the popular myth that The Robins were merely a footnote in the history of The Coasters. Robins gems such as “Empty Bottles” and “Ten Days In Jail” cement the group’s place as one of the finest rhythm and blues vocal acts of the 1950s… READ MORE

Bobby Darin fans will have something to sing about this March, when the El Toro label issues Darin’s complete Decca recordings on CD for the very first time… READ MORE

Various Artists - Welcome To The Club - Early Female Rockabilly (El Toro, ETCD 1013)

Welcome To The Club is the ideal title for this collection, as these 33 tracks detail the way female performers stormed the gates of the rockabilly boy’s club in the 1950s. Claiming their rightful place alongside artists such as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, these women proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that testosterone levels had nothing to do with making great rock and roll… READ MORE