About Us · Calendar · CD Reviews · Clubs · DJ Terry Gardner · Home · Late Night Swing · Lessons · Links · YouTube Videos · Rhythm & Swing
Sving du Nord · Contact Us

Detour Ahead - Lipstick: Live at the Dakota

By Charleston Hepston
 
Christine Rosholt – Detour Ahead
2006 Idea Dog Productions
SQ Issue:  Spring 2006, Volume 16, Issue 2

The Band:  Christine Rosholt – vocals; Jay Epstein – drums; Michael O’Brien – bass; Tanner Taylor – piano; Robert Everest – guitar, vocal; Steve Roehm - vibraphone

 “On the bandstand, Christine exudes enough warmth and charm to enchant even the most reluctant audience without singing a single note.  An audio recording is another matter – the singer must engage the listener solely through her voice and choice of material.  ‘Detour Ahead’ succeeds on both accounts.”   --- Andrea Canter, liner notes.

Christine Rosholt’s debut CD is a listener’s delight.   Her voice is bright and innocent with excellent diction and spot on phrasing.

Rosholt has assemble a fantastic rhythm section.  These are some of the top Twin Cities musicians and they compliment her vocals quite well.  Taylor’s piano solos are top notch.

Rosholt’s song selection shows her diverse abilities as a vocalist.   You’ll find wonderful jazz standards like I Cover the Waterfront and the title song as well as nice renditions of Bye Bye Blackbird and Honeysuckle Rose.  The vibraphone on the latter really spices up the number.  Dancers will find both of those “in the pocket” and a playful delight to dance to.

From a swing dancer’s perspective, besides the two numbers already mentioned, you may like From This Moment On, a barn burner at 316 bpm’s but fun none-the-less, and Early Autumn, a nice ‘n’ easy tune at 135 bpm’s.  

Rosholt’s vision of this CD was not necessarily to create a great dance CD but instead to create a great jazz CD, which she has done by compiling some nice swingin’ jazz with some latin rhythms and some bopish tunes, not to mention a couple nice ballads.  This is a listener’s delight and a bonus to get a couple swingin’ dance tunes.

Jazz enthusiasts will really enjoy this CD.  If you are looking strictly for a CD with lots of swing dance music, you may want to pass on this but it is definitely one I am glad to have in my jazz library. 

Bottom Line:  To buy or not to buy….. JAZZ FANS, BUY!  Here’s how:  http://www.christinerosholt.com/CDs.html

 CD REVIEW
By Charleston Hepston

The Christine Rosholt Group - Lipstick:  Live at the Dakota            
2008 Christine Rosholt Records

The Band:  Chritine Rosholt - vocals; Tanner Taylor - Piano; Graydon Peterson - bass; Jay Epstein - Drums; Dave Karr - saxophone and flute

"Christine Rosholt injects a natural effervescence into the jazz standards she loves. Her phrasing has a dewy freshness that helps define classic tunes from the likes of Jobim, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, and Fats Waller with sparkling clarity."
-Rick Mason, City Pages

Christine Rosholt has put together a fun and somewhat danceable CD.  This coming from this swing dancer's perspective.   Recorded live at Minnesota's Mecca for Jazz, The Dakota Jazz Club, Rosholt has a mixture of swing, latin and ballads.  As a concert, this is a beautiful album.   Rosholt's vocals are bright and beautiful and she is backed by top musicians in the Twin Cities.  Included in the album is banter with the band that enhances the "live" part of this live album.

So, what swings, you ask?  Well, the best dancing music goes to Cheek to Cheek, Comes Love, Down with Love and Hit the Road to Dreamland.   These range from 112 beats per minute to 218 bpms.  Cheek to Cheek is my favorite track on the album followed closely by Hit the Road to Dreamland.   Each offers something different.  The former is up tempo and swings out while the latter is a relaxing tempo, allowing you to really interpret the music in your dance.

If you like the standards like I do, you will really enjoy Rosholt's versions of Summertime and the Sinatra classic One for My Baby.   Both are showcases of her vocal talent.  Taylor's piano on One for My Baby wonderfully compliment Rosholt's singing. 

I would call this a great listening album more than a dance album.  But it is really put together well from the perspective of a jazz performance rather than catering to dancers.  It is definitely one to put in your car's CD player and play from beginning to end.