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Floyd Domino's All-Stars: Floyd Domino's All-Stars
ByWestern Swing never completely vanished but remained localized from the war years until the 1990s when it was rejuvenated by groups such as the Hot Club of Cowtown and, especially, Asleep at the Wheel. Floyd Domino spent seven years with that group, often shifting the model from one that centered solely on a lead fiddle, to one that allowed his piano driven tunes to share the spotlight. Domino has won numerous keyboard awards and two Grammys; one for his performance on AATW's cover of Count Basie's "One O'Clock Jump." He has appeared on more than fifty recordings including seven as leader. On Floyd Domino's All-Stars, the pianist has assembled a diverse septet that includes AATW vocalist Emily Gimble. Domino brings in players from the traditional jazz world in trumpeter David Jellema, guitarist Brooks Prumo, bassist Bryan Gould and drummer Hal Smith. Multi-instrumentalist Lauryn Gould has a deep classical background but plays a solid jazz style tenor saxophone here.
It is impossible to remain stationary with the opener, Benny Carter's "Boogie Minor." Domino's piano is centerstage for parts of the tune but Gould and Jellema pile on an infectious energy with the wind instruments. Gimble's vocal on "Between the Devil & The Deep Blue Sea," along with the nostalgic tone of the piece, feels like a trip back to the song's origin in the 1931 Cotton Club show "Rhythmania." "Mess Around"again featuring Gimblewas written by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegün in 1953 but the piano riff, can be heard as far back as the 1928 song "Cow Cow Blues." The 1932 standard, "Moten Swing" was written either by Buster and Bennie Moten or by Count Basie and Eddie Durham, depending on the varying accounts that can be sourced. Whichever the case, Domino takes a piano trio approach and the result is terrific with Gould, Smith and the leader shining in their individual parts and as a collective. All-Stars slows down only on the often recorded "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" and on the closing blues number, "After Hours" written by Avery Parrish.
Domino is a practitioner of modernizing Western Swing and broadening that musical landscape, yet he doesn't achieve these ends by tampering with the fundamentals; Domino is a preservationist with an archivist's ear for the authenticity of blues piano, jump blues, jazz, swing, and boogie-woogie. His All-Stars offers a large portion of carefree roots music in a contemporary setting; it's great fun to listen to, and a reminder of some great overlooked music.
Track Listing
Boogie Minor; Between the Devil & The Deep Blue Sea; Riff Blues; Honeysuckle Rose; Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans; Mess Around; Moten Swing; Blue Skies; Way Down Yonder in New Orleans; Exactly Like You; Tea for Two; After You've Gone; After Hours.
Personnel
Floyd Domino
keyboardsFloyd Domino: piano; Emily Gimble: vocals; Ryan Gould: bass; Hal Smith: drums; Brooks Prumo: guitar; Lauryn Gould: tenor sax; David Jellema: cornet, clarinet.
Album information
Title: Floyd Domino's All-Stars | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Golliber Records
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