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

Swingin' Radio - Jumpin Joz Band

SQ Issue:  Fall 1999 - Volume 9, Issue 4 

The Jumpin' Joz Band is:

Drums and vocals: Rick Joswick; Vocals: Vicki McClure, M. Lee; Keyboards: Michael Carr, John Brainard, Ruben Valtierra; Bass: Dan Lutz, Tom Gargano, Mark Dreice; Saxophone: Jerry Moore, Bruce Eskovitz, Rob Kyle; Trumpet: Phil Topping; Trombone: Dan Weinstein;
Guitar: Mike Simms

This Los Angeles based band releases their first CD, titled Swingin' Radio. It shows the band's versatility with a good mix of original tunes and covers of swing standards. However, they also show a varying mix of good and bad.

Almost all the songs are good tempos for 6-count dancing and a little more than half are good for 8-count dancing. Vicki McClure's sexy vocals on Ain't Misbehavin' and her scat on Honeysuckle Rose will perk your ears up, but too many of the songs have a disco feel to them, like A-Train Medley, Tell Me I'm Your Man, and Woman You Can Trust. A-Train Medley is a total derailment and shouldn't have been included on the CD, unless you like Hooked On Swing. Tunes like Louis Jordan's Choo Choo Boogie could have been better had they packed more punch on the breaks, like swing music.

This CD really is disco rather than swing. The drummer doesn't lay down a swing beat, but sticks to a rock and roll or disco beat. When I listened to this CD, it took me awhile to figure out why these songs didn't swing, then I listened to the drums closely and found the evidence I needed.

What I really like about the CD was McClure's vocals and the sax solos in Sing Sing Sing and Closer To The Bone, both Louis Prima covers. What I don't like is the feeling that the band is in another state while the vocalists sing. I'm not a sound techie but even I can tell that more work should have been done blending the vocals and instruments.

My suggestion is that McClure pack her bags and find a real swing band instead of hangin' out hoping for the next resurgence in disco!

Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy…..DON'T BUY. If you really want to give it a chance, Here's how: