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Austin's celebrated hot jazz and western swing trio crafted innovative instrumental arrangements and an unprecedented number of original songs for their fourth HighTone CD, produced by Gurf Morlix. Fiddle player Elana Fremerman contributes four songs that reflect her growing interest in more contemporary musical styles, although vintage jazz and western swing inflections still permeate her writing. »Forget-Me-Nots« features some wonderful vocal harmonic overdubbing by Fremerman, reminiscent of the classic Les Paul & Mary Ford hits from the late '40s. »Home« and »Before You« are romantic ballads that evoke memories of traditional parlor music from the 1920s, with sweet melodies and honest, hopeful, heartfelt lyrics.
Whit Smith's three original tunes are darker in mood, but equally remarkable. He is particularly proud of »It Stops With Me,« a tune which he feels is representative of the band's new sound -- a synthesis of traditional and contemporary music into a coherent, entertaining, and intensely personal hybrid. Also notable is Smith's reinterpretation of Aerosmith's hard-rock classic »Chip Away The Stone.« Done (without a smidgen of irony) in the style of a Jimmie Rodgers ballad, their version epitomizes all that is great about great songs -- a good melody, and honest and accessible lyrics that work regardless of the musical paradigm of their delivery.
Tracklisting:
1. Sleep
2. Forget-Me-Nots
3. Home
4. It Stops With Me
5. Secret of Mine
6. Paradise With You
7. Fuli Tschai ("Bad Girl")
8. You Took Advantage of Me
9. Before You
10. Cherokee Shuffle
11. Chip Away the Stone
12. Pray for the Lights to Go Out
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