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  Blues Jumpers with Haywood Gregory

Livin’ Like a King
2001 Summit Cross, Ltd. 
SQ Issue:  Fall 2001, Volume 11, Issue 4

The Blues Jumpers are:
Haywood Gregory – Lead vocals; Joe Geary – Drums, background vocals; Billy Roues – Guitar, background vocals; Steven Roues – Bass, harmonica, background vocals; Dan Alvaro – Tenor sax; Mike Hashim – Alto sax; Joe Delia – Piano.

USA Today calls them “one of the hottest and most talented bands to emerge from the east coast…” while the Philadelphia Inquirer refers to their music as, “the kind of gutbucket R&B that fueled juke joint dance floors through the late ‘50s.” – press release.

The Blues Jumpers get kudos for producing a fun, energetic CD that is only enhanced by the awesome vocals of Haywood Gregory.

There are lots of good songs to keep you busy on the dance floor including my favorites, Livin’ Like a King and Big Town Blues.  Both tunes have quicker tempos, 178 and 184 beats per minute respectively, but are lots of fun with great interplay from the band.  The latter song has a nice ‘50s feel without the ‘50s bubble gum sound.  Great solos by the saxes, guitar and piano on both tunes.

Data Access Blues is definitely a swingin’ blues tune that would have the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Leadbelly and T-Bone Walker scratching their heads.  It’s more of the type of blues Dilbert^® would experience than anything the old legends would encounter.

Don’t Mess with Me is a slower, danceable tune that seems to have borrowed a chunk of the melody from the song, ‘Cuz I’m a Woman.  You know the song….. ”I can bring home the bacon.   Fry it up in a pan…..”  The song eventually strays from that melody to create it’s own song but I definitely could see the Aviance woman running her fingers through her hair.  Not necessarily a bad image….

There are other good songs on this CD making it a wise investment for your music budget; a couple Latin tunes you’ll have to endure and there are also a couple of nice slow tunes for snuggling.  Not to mention a song about Jim Beam.  Can’t go wrong there!  And you can’t go wrong pickin’ up this CD for yourself.

Bottom Line:  To buy or not to buy…..BUY. If you do, here’s how: