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Jive is Jumpin'

The Jive is Jumpin’
1998 Westside
SQ Issue:  Winter 2001/02, Volume 12, Issue 1

Featured Groups:
The Four Clefs; The Cats and the Fiddle; The Lewis Bronzeville Five; The Four Vagabonds; The Aristo-Kats; The Deep River Boys; Bill Johnson and His Musical Notes; The Delta Rhythm Boys; Steve Gibson & the Red Caps

This is a compilation CD featuring vocal recording groups from the RCA & Bluebird labels from 1939 to 1952.  There are some really great gems and some forgettable tunes as well.

You really have to dig the doo wop sound to get the full satisfaction of this compilation.  I personally like doo wop but I don’t always enjoy dancing to it.  It can be very hit and miss for me. 

This CD is exactly that – hit and miss.  I really liked The Delta Rhythm Boys who were smartly left to the end of the CD, giving you good vibes at the end.  I didn’t care as much for The Lewis Bronzeville Five or Steve Gibson & the Red Caps.

The highlights are One O’Clock Jump, Take the ‘A’ Train, and I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive, all recorded by The Delta Rhythm Boys.  Other good tunes include The Chick’s Too Young to Fry by Deep River Boys and Jack, Your Dead by The Aristo-Kats.

There are other good songs as well but these represent the cream of the crop.  There tend to be quite a bit of slow tunes and a real interesting version of I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water. 

The one overall thing I didn’t like about this CD was the heavy use of guitar.  It really tended to get irritating after a while.  The overall good thing was clearly the three selections by The Delta Rhythm Boys.

Bottom Line:  To buy or not to buy…..DON’T BUY, unless you dig doo wop.  If you do, here’s how: