The
Hothead Fiasco – Cold Feet
The
Hothead Fiasco – Cold Feet
The Hothead Fiasco is:
John
“Frankie” French: Vocals, Guitar,
Banjo; Jimmy Kennedy: Keyboards, Vocals; Jay
Mote: Vocals, Trumpet; Dana Thompson: Vocals; Randy Venaas: Bass; Morris Engel:
Trap Kit; Eric “Buck” Nelson:
Trombone, Vocals, Ukulele; Steve Clarke:
Saxophones
The Hothead Fiasco is an eight piece swing/jazz band that mine the rich musical landscape of the first half of the Twentieth Century. Horn heavy barrel house and 20’s hot jazz fuel the fire they use to burn through the classic swing and big band eras. When things get heated, they cool it down with some 50’s film noir and torchy ballads. – press release.
You are going to like this CD as soon as you hear it. This band has never sounded so solid! You are going to be in for a treat on almost every song, no matter what the tempo is because there’s something here for everyone.
If you like the mid-tempo tunes, you’ll love The Big Demise, Strictly Desire, Soupline, and Back in the Swing. All of these tunes tempos range between 117-157. Perfect for expressive Lindy Hoppers. Strictly Desire shows off Kennedy’s fantastic Keyboard abilities as well as the horn section that the locals have grown accustomed to. Soupline includes a great sax solo by Clarke and wonderful driving beats by Engel. Mote’s vocals capture a true 20’s feel.
Like I said, the tempos vary greatly. If you want fast, they’ve got it! Tempos from 252-308 will leave you breathless. If you don’t like dancing to the fast stuff, you will certainly enjoy listening to the solid musicianship and interplay between the band mates. Moonpie and Falling Fast spotlight each musicians talents as well as the fabulous interaction between the horns.
Slower tunes include Hot Soup, Tan Turns Into Blue, Heaven’s to Betsy and Anything Like You. Listen closely to Tan Turns Into Blue and hear why Clarke was voted best horn player in Minnesota at the 1999 Minnesota Music Awards and is again nominated for 2000. Mote’s fabulous solo and Clarke’s amazing soft support is a perfect example of why this band is so good. Mote and Clarke create the feel of the original New Orleans jazz with their interplay. You can find this type of musicianship throughout this CD with all the musicians.
Not only are the horns fabulous, but I would be remiss not to note the fabulous talent of Dana Thompson. Her diverse vocals throughout this album are instrumental. From her Charlestoney 20’s vocals through her gorgeous full sound on the waltz, Heaven’s to Betsy. It’s no wonder she was voted best female vocalist for 1999 by City Pages, a weekly newspaper in the Twin Cities.
This CD is definitely a must have for everyone’s collection. Buy it as soon as you can!
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