Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad

Amazon.com
With the Squirrel Nut Zippers, banjo diva Katharine Whalen specializes in new songs you'd swear you've heard before. Her first solo album, Jazz Squad flips that formula on its head, dressing up old favorites in fancy new duds. Records like this invariably stand or fall on their vibe and feel, so the key question is: Does it swing? Would it sound right after-hours in a bar, after the mice have scattered for home and the jazz cats have come in to play? The answer is an emphatic yes. Though not an overpowering vocalist, Whalen demonstrates impeccable taste and timing. She's playful on the bouncy "Deed I Do," sultry on "There Is No Greater Love," sassy on "Now or Never," and crafty all over, gliding from song to song with an elegance that appears almost effortless. Most of the selections date from between the World Wars, with one new ringer ("Badisma," an instrumental penned by husband and Zippers guitarist Jimbo Mathus). The backup, a fine quintet featuring three other moonlighting Zippers, is executed as flawlessly as the musicology. Jazz Squad certainly doesn't discourage comparisons to Billie Holiday; it also conjures up memories of Chet Baker's languid vocals and Blossom Dearie's cabaret croon. Yet Jazz Squad is less musty revivalism than the best kind of nostalgia. Death may start in your record collection, but you'd never know it from this. --David Menconi

From Jazziz
You may have heard Katherine Whalen before. She's that singer with the neo-swing band (excuse me, hot jazz), the Squirrel Nut Zippers, who sounds eerily like Billie Holiday. For her debut as a leader, Jazz Squad, Whalen has continued to mine the music of yesteryear - mainly from the '20s and '30s. Our featured track, "Now or Never" is a Billie Holiday tune.

Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad,Katharine Whalen,Mammoth / Pgd,Jazz,Pop,Popular Music,Rock/Pop

Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad

Average customer rating:

A Lovely Glow
Why The Wait?
A heavy dose of the best part of the Zippers
Not just a side project, but a timeless, STELLAR production!
Even in you don't like the SNZ, check this out...

Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad
Katharine Whalen
Manufacturer: Mammoth / Pgd
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Retro Swing | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Dirty Little Secret
National Antiseptic
Play Songs For Rosetta
Christmas Caravan
Sold Out

ASIN: B00000J2SV
Release Date: 1999-05-25

Tracks:

Deed I Do
No Greater Love
Sugar
Yesterdays
Just You, Just Me
Now Or Never
My Old Flame
That Old Feeling
Badisma
All My Life
After You've Gone
My Baby Just Cares For Me

Amazon.com

With the Squirrel Nut Zippers, banjo diva Katharine Whalen specializes in new songs you'd swear you've heard before. Her first solo album, Jazz Squad flips that formula on its head, dressing up old favorites in fancy new duds. Records like this invariably stand or fall on their vibe and feel, so the key question is: Does it swing? Would it sound right after-hours in a bar, after the mice have scattered for home and the jazz cats have come in to play? The answer is an emphatic yes. Though not an overpowering vocalist, Whalen demonstrates impeccable taste and timing. She's playful on the bouncy "Deed I Do," sultry on "There Is No Greater Love," sassy on "Now or Never," and crafty all over, gliding from song to song with an elegance that appears almost effortless. Most of the selections date from between the World Wars, with one new ringer ("Badisma," an instrumental penned by husband and Zippers guitarist Jimbo Mathus). The backup, a fine quintet featuring three other moonlighting Zippers, is executed as flawlessly as the musicology. Jazz Squad certainly doesn't discourage comparisons to Billie Holiday; it also conjures up memories of Chet Baker's languid vocals and Blossom Dearie's cabaret croon. Yet Jazz Squad is less musty revivalism than the best kind of nostalgia. Death may start in your record collection, but you'd never know it from this. --David Menconi

Customer Reviews:

A Lovely Glow.......2007-06-04

I picked this gem at a sale, little knowing what it contained. Katharine Whalen of the Squirrel Nut Zippers madness does a joyful rendition of this swing material without playing it for laughs. Some of the tracks like "Sugar" pop and bubble with syncopation. "Yesterdays" is a blue slow baker that might inspire those who still spin Billie Holiday's sides faithfully. Mike Minguez's clarinet spruces up "Just You, Just Me" from 1929. Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Linda Ronstadt & Sarah Vaughn have recorded "My Old Flame" among numerous others. Whalen brings a lovely glow to her small combo arrangement. "After You've Gone" has a distinctly New Orleans feel, despite the fact the CD was recorded in Durham, North Carolina. The CD concludes with "My Baby Just Cares for Me" as Whalen teases demurely. This set by the Jazz Squad may have tunes that have been heard before, but it's sure to put a smile on your face. This is a CD that wears well. Seek & you shall find! Enjoy!

Why The Wait?.......2005-01-19

Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad was released in 1999. I'm typing in 2005. Where in heaven's name is the follow-up to this fantastic record?

A heavy dose of the best part of the Zippers.......2002-12-31

If you enjoy the Squirrel Nut Zippers for their fast paced radio hits (i.e. Hell), this album may not be to your liking. However, if you are like me and take greater pleasure in their slower songs, particularly those sung by Katharine Whalen, then this album will more than satiate you appetite for her mellow voice and soothing tunes.
Whalen makes the right decision to create her own sound on this album, rather than re-create the sounds from the Squirrel Nut Zippers records. The banjo is put away and the dixie land tones take a back seat to smoky Bourbon Street style jazz, the kind you might listen to late at night when the bar is empty and the partying is over.
I thoroughly enjoy the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and my favorite songs are the ones sung by Katharine. This album provides a double treat: a sound different enough from the Zippers to not sound like another Zippers album, and a full catalog of nothing but Katherine.

Not just a side project, but a timeless, STELLAR production!.......2002-03-26

The bar closed an hour ago... as the broom sweeps up sorrows, a soothing voice from the stage gives warmth to the last soul around. Or maybe the scene involves sitting on the porch viewing the last light of the sun on a hot summer day. Perhaps its laying on the couch after a long day with the kids. Or lastly, you want a slow romantic groove for your special companion to sway with by candle light. At any case, Katharine Whalen's Jazz Squad is the perfect solution for any background music occasion. Yet "background music" may seem insulting. Perhaps that is the very magic behind this x-Zippers jem. Whalen's soothing tones manage to stay in the back, but pierce your soul with emotion. With songs dating back from the 1920s ("Deed I do") even up to modern times (Mathus-written tune "Badisma"), there is a cohesiveness of passion that is spelled J-A-Z-Z! Whalen's voice, even from the Squirrel Nut days captures an era for old-timers and newcomers to enjoy. If you liked the Zippers, yes, you'll like Katharine's Jazz squad. However this album puts the lid on it a bit more, having a slightly moodier, reserved feel than raising "Hell."

Sample the tracks on line if you can & be the judge, I certainly have NO regrets purchasing the album!

Even in you don't like the SNZ, check this out..........2001-12-06

...because Katharine Whalen has a voice that makes you remember, and that you'll never forget. This really is a unique album, not to be compared to her quirky vocals to Mathus's sometimes strange songs. In this collection, she really gives us the spirit of jazz, and reminds listeners of the glorious voices of Ella and Billie. My fave has to be the last cut.

Rap Music:

Rap Music

rap music

Recommended Music:

Kill For Recreation [Explicit Lyrics]

Sviatoslav Richter 1977 Salzburg Recital

The Main Force

Music: The Greatest Hits [Original recording remastered]

Top Tunes Karaoke CDG Hall of Fame Vol.4 TT-052

Uncharted Waters [Explicit Lyrics]

Smoky Mountain Hymns

The Angel Has Landed

Selecao De Ouro 20 Sucessos [Import]

Souvenir - Michala Petri & Lars Hannibal - Music for Recorder & Lute - Telemann, Bach, Koppel, Krahmer, Vivaldi, etc.

The Passage [Enhanced] [Hybrid SACD]

Tenor Legacy

The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Trillville [Explicit Lyrics]

Ying Huang / James Conlon, London Symphony Orchestra

The Best of Lene Lovich