1. When I Get Low I Get High
2. Bread and Gravy
3. And the Angels Sing
4. La Vie en Rose
5. Walking after Midnight
6. Heebie Jeebies
7. I Cover the Waterfront
8. Apple Blossom Time
9. Crazy
10. Smile
11. Perfidia
12. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend
13. Stars Fell on Alabama
Patrick Tevlin – Trumpet
Lucas Gadke – String bass
Mike Evin – Piano
Hannah Krapivinsky – Vocals
Recorded at New Orleans North studio, Toronto, Canada, Apr. 25 (?), 2013.
While many people might think swing is so “yesterday,” it is not so for the Lindy Hoppers of today who are into “retro” everything (music, clothes, etc.).
They love to dance to the music of the 30’s, and they also find the music of the 20’s and even earlier quite congenial. I have seen them fill the floor all
night to dance to a 20’s New Orleans-style band at a retro dance club.
The swing trio backing vocalist Hannah Krapivinsky here also plays at such affairs. Although the CD was recorded in a studio, leader Patrick Tevlin
informed me that “The cover photo is from the swing dance in Toronto, for which we play quite often.” Ms. Krapivinsky and the others have done their
homework, and the results are very satisfying. Each track contains a vocal, and the young lady sounds much like the singers of the big band era. She can
make the lyrics sparkle (And the Angels Sing; Apple Blossom Time) or play the sultry siren (La Vie en Rose—sung in French; Stars Fell on Alabama) and everything between. Her timing and her intonation are on the mark, and her vibrato is just enough, asserting itself
mainly at the end of a phrase. While not exactly “Ella-esque,” her scatting on Heebie Jeebies comes off quite well.
As for the trio, it is well balanced. Tevlin supplies a nice lead, never trying to blow down the back wall, and his obbligatos when Ms. Krapivinsky sings
are thoughtful and tailored to her delivery. Evin’s piano drives on the faster tunes, his two-fisted block chording propelling the group without rushing
the tempo. Lastly, Gadke on bass provides a solid bottom for the others, but he is not averse to a solo now and again.
While most of the tunes will be familiar—at least to those of us who are older than the current Lindy Hopper generation—a few may not be. The title track, When I Get Low I Get High, one of the so-called “reefer songs,” is probably one. It is difficult to find out exactly who wrote it—it seems certain
that Marion Sunshine, a vaudevillian and later actress, wrote the words and is often credited with the music, but nothing seems definite. Perhaps the sheet
music would clear things up if it were available. Another, the second song, Bread and Gravy, falls into the less-than-familiar category, although
it was written by Hoagy Carmichael. Finally, Walking after Midnight, written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht, may be more familiar to those
who follow country music as well, since it was recorded by Patsy Cline.
The others, several being ballads, will most likely not cause eyebrows to become knotted, and while some are not from the 30’s, they fit quite well with
those that are, making for a program that should satisfy anyone who likes music that swings and does not deafen the listener. No need for earplugs here. My
only quibble is that I think a few more tracks would have been in order, as the playing time of under 45 minutes is a bit on the skimpy side.
At the web site www.tevlin.ca one can obtain more information.
Bert Thompson
CD Reviews
New Orleans North CD-014
