Published on Aug 11, 1999
I wouldn’t say that I get swamped with independent releases here
at the home office of “The Daily Vault,” but I get enough to keep
me in tune with what is happening in the music scene. While I try
to see the good in every disc, there are a few that are just utter
dreck; unfortunately, these experiences can sometimes scare me off
of checking out other unsigned bands.
I’ve had
Leaving Home, the debut from Brown Derby Junction, sitting
around now for about two months, and I just never seemed to have
the time to get to it. But when I did, what I heard astounded me.
Here was swing and big band music being played the way that is was
meant to be. And if that isn’t shocking enough, would you believe
this band is a group of high school kids?
Yeah, I know, it sounds unbelievable. But then, you haven’t
heard the music on
Leaving Home. The band – which includes guitarist/vocalist
Seth B. Dubin, vocalist Jenna Eisenhauer, and guitarist/vocalist
Zach Bailey – approaches this music with a maturity far beyond
their years, and outdoes even the leading purveyors of this genre –
including Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.
If you don’t find yourself out of the barcalounger and up
dancing to tracks like “Mr. Town” and “Brown Derby Junction,” you’d
better have your pulse checked. The band (who perform all originals
– again, amazing that they stay so close to the bone of the
original style) is filled with energy and enthusisam, and you can’t
help but catch some of that.
What adds the right touch to
Leaving Home is the horn section of Jonny Pinkerton (alto
& soprano sax / trumpet), Ryan Wolfgang (trumpet – and drums on
one track) and Alec Spiegelman (tenor sax / clarinet). Their subtle
yet powerful brass and woodwind work make you feel like you’re
sitting in a speakeasy in the ’20s, enjoying some of the best music
of the time. If I hadn’t taken the time to read the songwriting
credits, I would never have believed that these were modern-day
compositions… that’s how talented this band is.
Tracks like “Marylou” (which is described in the liner notes as
“a day in the life of Al Capone’s girlfriend”), “Sancho”, “Nothin’
To Say” and “New Orleans Rag” all do nothing to diminish the
absolute power and mastery of the genre that Brown Derby Junction
has.
If there is any weakness on this disc, I would have liked for
the master volume to have been cranked up a couple of notches. I
listened to this on the CD-ROM unit of my computer – and while the
volume was at full blast, I got an e-mail message, causing the
voice of Austin Powers to smash my eardrums into oblivion. Either
the master volume needs to be adjusted on this disc, or I need to
stop using my computer as a stereo.
Leaving Home is a disc that will not only renew any interest
you may have in swing or big band (it just might even get you
interested in this genre), but it will reaffirm the belief that the
youth of today are not all interested in Marilyn Manson or other
noise the older generations can’t tolerate or appreciate. Here’s
hoping this band doesn’t remain a Pennsylvania secret for much
longer.