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

Mitch Woods - Jukebox Drive (El Toro Rhythm & Blues; El Toro R&B 206)

Whether “Boppin’ The Boogie” or serving up burgers at a “Boogie Woogie Bar-B-Q,” piano man Mitch Woods is the epitome of cool. He rocks those eighty-eights like crazy as a “Saturday Night Boogie Man,” then stumbles in the next morning with a “Blues Hangover.” The latter track is a thrilling rhythm and blues masterpiece, thanks in no small part to Woods’ first class backing band, The Lazy Jumpers. Drummer Blas Picon not only drives the tune furiously, he also delivers a killer harmonica break… READ MORE

Gas House Gorillas - Five Gorillas Walk Into A Bar (DM11608)

Remember those hoodlum friends you had when you were a teenager? Remember the way they used to hang out down by the drugstore in their zoot suits, snapping their fingers and acting too cool for school? Well, they grew up to be the Gas House Gorillas.

This primo jump blues band has it all: an amazing rhythm section, awesome sax playing, fabulous guitar, a killer frontman, and fantastic songs. And more than all that, these guys have the ability to cross over from jump blues to swing to rock and back again, often within the same track… READ MORE

DJ At’s Crazy Record Hop Presents: Foot Tappin’ & Dance At The Screamin’ Festival Vol. 1 (El Toro; ETCD 1017)

Organizers of rhythm and swing nights take note: here is the disc you need. This collection of rip roarin’ vintage dance tunes, issued by El Toro to honor the 10th Anniversary of Screamin’ Festival in Spain, is guaranteed to put a shimmy in your shake. There are rock tunes that swing, swing tunes that boogie, and boogie tunes that rock. In fact, there’s something for everyone who likes to move their tail… READ MORE

T-Bear & The Dukes of Rhythm - Let The Sweet Talk Flow (El Toro; El Toro R&B 205)

Dukes of Rhythm guitarist and vocalist “T-Bear” would be one of the finest young blues players in Chicago, if not for this simple fact: he’s not from Chicago. He’s from Sweden. His real name is Torbjörn Solberg, and he plays like a cross between B.B. King and Chuck Berry. His blues wail has a bit of an Elvis growl in it and his original songs are as badass as any of the classics… READ MORE

Gust Spenos Quartet - Swing Theory (Swing Theory LLC)

Hearing musicians play for the sheer fun of it is always a kick. And the Gust Spenos Quartet kicks like a mule. Deans of their own College of Musical Knowledge, tenor saxman Gust Spenos, pianist Marvin Chandler, bassist Frank Smith, and drummer Kenny Phelps lay down some deliciously vintage sounds on Swing Theory. Ably assisted by special guests Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Schneider, and Everett Greene, the Quartet takes on ten standards and two originals, addressing each tune with verve and style… READ MORE

The Slammers Maximum Jive Band - Jive Time! (El Toro; ETCD 2036)

Lovers of old fashioned, swingin’ rhythm and blues, never fear — The Slammers are here! From across the pond comes one of the finest jive outfits in decades. There just aren’t enough superlatives in the English language to properly describe the immense cool of this group and this disc. A simple “wow” is way too little. A simple “holy mother of pearl this band is so good it’s criminal” doesn’t even do the job… READ MORE

Bobby Darin - Sings the Shadow of Your Smile / In A Broadway Bag (Edsel; EDSS 1012)

The first disc in the UK-based Edsel label’s four volume Bobby Darin reissue series features the classic 1966 LPs Sings The Shadow Of Your Smile and In A Broadway Bag. These albums signaled Darin’s return to Atlantic Records after a 7-album stint at Capitol.

A desire for more creative control has been cited by many sources as a leading reason for Darin’s original departure from Atlantic, so it should come as no surprise that Sings The Shadow Of Your Smile finds Mr. Darin sitting in the producer’s chair. With an artist of such fine taste and talent at the helm, the result is pure magic… READ MORE