Don’t Give Up
2003 Roger Humphries
Don’t Give Up
2003 Roger Humphries
The Band:
Roger
Humphries – drums; Dwayne Dolphin – bass; Timothy Jenkins – piano; Etta Cox
– vocals; Lou Stellute – tenor sax; Tony Campbell – alto sax; Mike Tomaro
– alto & soprano sax; Bobby Jones, Jr. – baritone sax; Frank Malla –
trombone; Nelson Harrison – trombone; Al Dowe – trombone; Reggie Watkins –
trombone; Jay Ashby – trombone & percussion; Chuck Austin – trumpet; Delano
“Volcano” Choy – trumpet; Justin Surdyn – trumpet; James Moore –
trumpet; Roger Dannenberg – trumpet.
“From day one, Roger told everyone that the
band’s main objective was to recreate the “feeling” of the great big bands
of the past and that is what this recording represents…This music is a pure
expression of Roger’s life – happy and spirited.
Anyone who hears this recording – expect to dance. You might find it hard to sit and listen to unless
you don’t have legs. Even that’s no
excuse – ‘Shake what you’ve got!’” – Dwayne Dolphin, Liner Notes
I heard about this CD from other DJs
who were raving about it. I thought with so
many people saying such good things, I should check it out.
Much to my satisfaction, the buzz for
this CD hit the mark. Especially if you are a
fan of big band music. This is one to keep
close by your CD player.
There is a good mix of tempos
throughout and they even toss in a pretty darn good latin number. I put it at 45% danceable for Swing dancers. That’s 5 solid tracks out of 11 that dancers
should enjoy being out on the floor. My
favorite clocks in at a slow 114 beats per minute (bpm), Tempo ala Basie. This one surely captures the essence of Basie and
has lots of playful phrasing for Lindy Hop. Keeping
with Basie, they cover Splanky like nobody’s business. It’s at an easy tempo at 133 bpm, which is
good because the song is a lengthy seven minutes. Make
sure to grab your favorite partner for this one!
The only other recognizable tune that
you will enjoy dancing to is One O’Clock Jump.
Typically a faster song, Humphries eases the tempo to about a swingin’
158 bpm. Lesser known titles that you will
like are Blues Plus Four (127 bpm) and RH Factor (153 bpm).
As for the band, you will find top-notch musicians throughout. They blend exceptionally well and their phrasing throughout is superb. The energy is high on every song and the band makes it sound so easy! Their love of this music shows from beginning to end. From slow to fast. From Swing to Latin. This CD will be a great addition to your library.
Bottom Line: To buy or not to buy….. Buy! Here’s how: Buy this CD