1996 - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - One Hour Mama

 

1996 - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers -
One Hour Mama @ 320

The current swing revival, a very healthy development that has given younger dancers an opportunity to jitterbug to four/four music has, ironically, resulted in quite a bit of erratic music. Some of the so-called swing bands are really just playing rockabilly, '50s pop, or mere imitations of Louis Prima and Cab Calloway mixed in with R&B from later periods. But there are a few groups that really are playing swing, including singer Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. The talented Smith has an appealing voice that sometimes sounds close to Dinah Washington's, but it's also flexible enough to handle material ranging from Bessie Smith to Anita O'Day. And, although the singer gets top billing, her instrumentalists are just as strong. The debut set by the Red Hot Skillet Lickers features heated and romping solos by trombonist Larry Leight, altoist Bill Stewart, tenor Harvey Robb, and Noel Jewkes on tenor, clarinet and baritone, along with a driving four-piece rhythm section. Pianist/arranger Chris Siebert is responsible for the inventive charts, which are sometimes a combination of earlier recordings and always leave space for solos. The material includes some blues, swing standards (such as "Blue Skies," "Squeeze Me" and "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea"), and lots of riffing. The music is a joy. The fact that Lavay Smith's San Francisco ensemble has been able to benefit from the swing revival shows that it is possible to perform music that is both popular and quite swinging. (AllMusic)

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2009 - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - Miss Smith To You!

2009 - Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers - 
Miss Smith To You! @320

Lavay Smith is sadly a rarity today. You will be very hard pressed to find another singer of her caliber anywhere. She brings you back to the day of Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald, when clubs and concert halls where filled when a songstress, backed by a big band could take a song and real make it her own and make you feel it, make you want to get up and dance to it, be it slow of fast.

"Miss Smith To You!" is Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet-Lickers third album, and it matches if not surpasses previous the previous efforts with a great selection of songs, superb performances, and quality production. The songs range from slow ballads to medium tempo swings. Through it all Miss Smith is able to show off her voice and personality.

So in conclusion, if this is a style of music you enjoy (Big Band/Vocal Jazz), I do not think this album will disappoint you. It has a great selection of classic songs, the music of a talented group of musicians and the voice of one of the few who can really pull it off. To me this album really is a complete package, and I hope you can enjoy it as much as I have. (Amazon Review)

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