Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 4 Dec 2007 4:10 pm |
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My swing band, Beats Walkin', recently played at the Media Jazz Festival in Media, PA, where we encountered a student from Penn State Univ. named Ryan Gaffney, who was going to write a review of our performance for a music class assignment. He listened intently, asked a few questions afterwards and went his way. Today he sent me the review, which is reprinted below, with his permission:
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<center>Beats Walkin’</center>
Western swing is a genre that flies under the radar, especially these days. When Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington had the attention of East coast audiences during the big band/swing era, the West was conjuring up a response of its own. Bob Wills and Milton Brown spawned the genre, an upbeat fusion of country, jazz, and blues with a distinct instrumental addition of the steel guitar. Since the beginning of World War II, few Western swing bands have surfaced, but bands like Tom Morrell and his Timewarp Tophands and more renowned Asleep at the Wheel have kept the genre alive and kickin’. On October 20th, 2007, when Beats Walkin’ showed up in Media, Pennsylvania for the “Jazz By Night” festival, they reminded the crowd of what those other bands had proven: that the genre is alive and still has that upbeat, feel-good spirit.
I entered the Plumstead Inn to see a large crowd, one half sitting and watching the Indians play the Red Sox, the other half standing and gently swaying to the sound of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin’” coming from the band. The members of Beats Walkin’ were dressed in relaxed Western-style clothing, and they all had smiles on their faces as they played. It gave them a certain sense of down-to-earth friendliness that you can’t find in popular bands. Beats Walkin’ seemed like a group of people just happy to play for the sake of playing, and boy did they know how to do just that.
“Hey Good Lookin’” featured vocals from both drummer Chuck Lindsey and guitarist Wendi Bourne, and at times almost had a dixieland kind of feel with every instrument playing diversely. “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” came next, and quickly drew people from their seats. This being the fastest song yet highlighted upright bassist Ken Smith. Though he stood tall and still behind his instrument, his on-tempo strumming on the low notes didn’t go unnoticed.
Western swing is indeed a mixture of country music and jazz, but in the beginning the Western-born genre sensibly had a higher emphasis on the Western style. Fiddles were typically incorporated as a solo instrument in Western swing bands. Later, bands started using more of the jazz influence by adding instruments like the piano and saxophone.
Beats Walkin’ can be seen as the embodiment of the genre; more Western influence early, more jazz influence later. Band leader Jim Cohen explains “When Beats Walkin' began, we had a fiddle but have since swapped it out for a sax, since we are really kind of a 'crossover' now between Western swing and jazz and the sax is more versatile for that sound.”
Following the crowd favorite came my own personal favorite, “Eatin' Right out of Your Hand,” with the band-proclaimed “fearless leader” on lead vocals. This was the first song that introduced Cohen’s smooth, relaxing voice as he sang his heart out. This was also the song in which people started to recognize the pure talent behind the jazzy saxophone. Beats Walkin’ couldn’t have found a better way to emphasize a jazz influence than to present Lynn Riley, one of the newer members, on the sax. Although one of the slower songs on the list, this one got people moving, smiling, and clapping along with the music.
Next came “Sugar Moon,” a song originally recorded by the originators, Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. This song featured the sweet, soothing, sincere vocals of Wendi Bourne, whose voice can be compared to that of Trudy Fair, a regular in Tom Morrell’s Timewarp Tophands. Looking around the bar, you could see a few couples dancing to this one.
After that, perhaps the slowest song, the band paid more homage to the greats, this time to Theolonius Monk with a steel guitar driven “Straight, No Chaser.” The special thing about this cover was the distinct input from each band member. Cohen’s steel guitar played the head of the song, only stopping for solos. Smith put a large emphasis on the blues progression of the song, even more than the classic original version. Riley showed her versatility through a few crowd-pleasing sax solos. Most unexpectedly, Bourne and Lindsey made their voices heard with scat verses, a new surprise from the band that would actually be repeated throughout the rest of the set. Beats Walkin’ looked to be having fun all night, but they must have been extra pleased during that instrumental.
Next, they quickly dove into “Miles and Miles of Texas” the most country-tinged song yet. It was also the most exciting, easily getting the most crowd attention. The already crowded bar burst into a Western dancehall, as Chuck Lindsey’s deep, country singing voice drove this honky-tonk gem. This song highlighted a huge strength of the band during the entire set; the awe-inspiring collaboration between Cohen and Riley. The two soloists traded sax and steel guitar riffs most impressively at this time, showing the cooperation and talent of the band.
Interaction with the crowd can often reveal the personality of the performer. In this case, Beats Walkin’ seemed like a bunch of ordinary people with the same sincerity as anyone else. They rarely paused between songs for more than a minute, and that minute was used to recognize a certain band member. “That’s Jim Cohen on the pedal steel,” Wendi Bourne exclaimed. Chuck Lindsey often used banter time to crack a joke or say something goofy, at one point announcing that an illegally parked “automobubble” was about to be towed outside. “You know who you are,” the class clown told the crowd. It’s that kind of geniality and humility that makes Beats Walkin’ so charming.
The classic “Route 66” was a large standout that night. It showed yet another talent behind Wendi Bourne, who started the song in a kind of talk or whisper, built up intensity in her voice verse by verse, and ended it in a heightened, strong, vocal yell. Once again, the crowd was graced with sax and steel guitar solos. One audience member even yelled “You’re great!” when Lynn Riley finally took a post-solo breather. Lindsey managed to get some laughs during this song, throwing in the “Popeye the Sailor Man” theme into a scat verse. As mentioned, Bourne’s voice soared through the Plumstead Inn, and judging by the applause at the end of this joyous classic, I think most people forgot about the Indians and Red Sox.
The band closed the set with the boogie inspired “House of Blue Lights.” Led by Lindsey on vocals, this was probably the best example of the band’s swing influence. Cohen and Riley took a solo each, but besides that, the band played cooperatively, stopping on the dime and using perfectly placed syncopation and kicks. When they wrapped up the set, I was quick to take Jim Cohen’s invitation to ask questions. He was an all-around good guy, not even laughing when I embarrassingly stated that I had never seen the instrument he was playing. He explained that the steel guitar was the key to Western swing music. I was in a hurry, but I made sure to shake his hand, thank him for the performance, and buy a copy of Beats Walkin’s latest CD, Bop-A-Billy Swing. I came to Media’s “Jazz By Night” celebration as an alternative punk rock fan looking for some musical enlightenment and expansion of horizons, and I left with just that. I’m very fortunate to have wandered into the Plumstead Inn that night.
-- Ryan Gaffney |
I don't know what his professor will say, but I'd give him an A+ for that review! 
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Now you can't play in Texas. Hag added them both to his band and they can swing it. 