The Big One! - ‘til the Daytime Fades
Prairie Cats
‘til the Daytime Fades
2001
SQ Issue: Summer 2001, Volume 11, Issue
3
Prairie Cats are:
Jeff
Koterba: electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, vocals; Jeff Schoening: drums, percussion; Kevin Linder: trumpet; Jason Grotelueschen: trombone, guitar, accordion, vocals; Erik Johnson: alto saxophone; Larry Frederickson: bass viol, piano, Hammond B-3, morph bells,
vocals; Dan Schoening: trumpet, flugelhorn,
trombone, whistle; Craig Crilly: tenor
saxophone; clarinet.
They come out of the gate slow with Alley, a good tempoed song that starts out good but doesn’t seem to go anywhere. There is nice ensemble work by the band but the song gets repetitious and I ended up losing interest in it.
They pick it up, though, with Five Martinis and a Beer, a nice song that has some really great clarinet licks as well as good solos by the trumpet and sax. Great Lindy tempo with fun breaks.
As you listen to the CD, you’ll hear some hits and misses throughout. The highlights are Not in the Mood and Bacon Joe. The former is a hilarious song about having to play In the Mood at every gig and how tired it gets. Most swingers who have been around a while will enjoy the humor of it. The tempo is a quick 221 bpm that will get your heart pumpin’. The latter is another great song with a play off of the Three Little Pigs. You’ll find this one more danceable as well as a fun tune.
There are a couple of Latin tunes and some other songs that don’t hold my attention and don’t really swing. I did enjoy the Perry Mason quotes and the Hammond B-3 in Slow.
Overall, I would pass on this CD but I really like Five Martinis and a Beer, Not in the Mood, and Bacon Joe. If you can find the price reasonable, these songs may keep you interested in putting it in your library.
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy…..DON’T BUY, If you do, here’s how:
Prairie Cats are:
Dan
“Red Rooster” Schoening – trumpet, vocals; Jason “T-Bone”
Grotelueschen – trombone, guitar, vocals; Erik “Bleeding Gums” Johnson
– alto saxophone, vocals; Jeff “Daddy K” Koterba – electric &
acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals; Amy Stickney – tenor saxophone, clarinet,
vocals; Larry Frederickson – upright bass, vocals; Jeff Schoening – drums &
percussion, vocals; Jim “Muscle Cheeks” Larson – trumpet, vocals.
This predominately rockabilly CD has a very Stray Cats feel to it. You can really hear the influence on tunes like Kiss the Bottle, It’s A Mystery and Throw Me a Bone. Many of the songs have the hard-driving beat that is common to the rockabilly genre.
When I read about the horns, I was excited to hear this CD. The horns do a good job, but I don’t feel them grab their lines when they get their time in the sun. They competently execute but they miss their chance to shine when they solo. The trumpet solo in Five O’Clock Stomp finally grabs the spotlight and lets you know, “Yes! This is a solo, here I am!”
What’s missing in many of these songs is execution. Several times you hear the breaks coming and you anticipate this great break…..but…..ohhh, they didn’t punch it home. You have to wait for the ninth track, Jump Start Jane, until you really feel the energy and punch you can have with the brass section.
Overall, I would say that rockabilly fans will have a good time with this one. More jazz, big band or jump blues oriented swingers will most likely think twice. I do want to mention that a lot of it comes together on I Wanna Be Your Daddy. A nice bluesy song perfect for lindy hoppers.
Prairie Cats are a good band and I’m sure with more time together they will follow up this CD with a solid, tighter offering. I look forward to it.
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy…..DON’T BUY, unless you are a rockabilly fanatic. Here’s how:
