After Midnight - Midnight in Madison
Reviewed by Matthew Warnock,
ReviewYou.com, February 2011
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
"There is often the perception that jazz musicians are
all holed up in dark, smoke-filled rooms in Greenwich Village, playing
late-night sets of new and highly-experimental music that pushes the limits of
the genre into never before heard sonic territories. While there are many
modern jazzers who play cutting-edge music, to varying degrees of public
acceptance, there is also a movement in today’s jazz scene to reach back to the
Golden Age of the music.
The After Midnight Jazz Band’s CD Midnight in Madison
channels the Swing era, as it is often referred to, and features music performed
in the tradition of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Though
some jazz fans see these more traditional ensembles as being dated and out of
touch, there are large numbers of people who enjoy listening to current
interpretations of the songs that made jazz great in the early days of the
genre.
The Colorado based After Midnight Jazz Band is just such
an ensemble, one that prefers to dig into the treasure trove of classic hits
from Jazz’s early days to build their repertoire and concert programs.
Their live album Midnight in Madison is filled with songs that fans of
the Swing era will no doubt easily recognize and find enjoyment in listening to.
Recorded live at the 2008 Capital Jazz Festival in Madison, Wisconsin,
the album features some of the most iconic Swing/Jazz songs, including “Air Mail
Special”, “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You”, and “Rose Room.” Each song is
performed with an authentic Swing approach, and the band is built in the
likeness of some of the top bands of that era, featuring voice, piano,
vibraphone, guitar, bass, drums and clarinet.
Vocalist Jodi Renee is in particularly fine form on the
record, and her interpretation of “It Had to Be You” showcases her strong
vibrato, an interesting interpretation and her sultry vocal style that receives
an instant applause from the audience midway through the song. On the male
vocalist side of things, Mike McCullough’s performance on “Gee Baby, Ain’t I
Good to You” is one of the album’s brightest moments. Not only does he
lead the audience through an entertaining rendition of the melody, but he
doubles the guitar line during the solo section, showcasing his range,
intonation and bluesy-grit as he digs into each note and phrase. This
brings out every possible ounce of emotion in order to build a strong aural
connection with the other musicians as well as the audience.
While the vocalist’s provide standout performances on
the album, there are moments when the instrumentalists sound a bit stiff,
especially for a Swing band. It’s not enough to take away from the overall
performance on the recording, but it is noticeable for fans of the genre.
Songs such as “Flying Home” and “Air Mail Special” are both performed with
technical accuracy, but they come off as a bit rigid in certain moments and lack
that high-energy interpretation that is a staple of the Swing era bands.
Though Swing bands often played songs that were more “simple” harmonically and
melodically as compared to their later Bebop counterparts, what made the music
great, was the showmanship and high levels of energy that the musicians poured
into the songs, getting people out of their seats and onto the dance floor.
