Customer Reviews

Come Out Swingin'

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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In the 90's there was a swing revival, the media put all it's attention on the dancers and their retro lifestyles, passing it off as a fad, instead of focusing on the music, which mostly was horrible bands like Cherry Poppin daddies, however one of the truly great bands that came from the neo-swing era was Steve Lucky's. Miss Carmen Getit(who sounds a bit influenced by Anita O'Day), is the featured vocalist/guitarist, Lucky supplies some humorous vocals on several duets with Miss Getit, as well as some fine Boogie Woogir piano solos. The band sounds like an authentic small swing/R&B combo from about 1946. Lucky's Rhumba bums are a very tight combo, which features brief but hot solos from all the horns, however Lucky and Getit steal take most of the solos! This band should not only interest lindy happers, but sldo serios swing ,and jazz collectors, who think that nothing good came of the swing revival. Too bad everyone passed this whole musical genere as a fad, jazz music could have been popular once again. This cd is worth checking out, as well as: Ray Gelato Giants CD "The Full Flavour" and Lavay Smith "One Hour Mama", both available here at Amazon.

Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums are one of the most entertaining bands around. The amazing chemistry between Steve Lucky and Miss Carmen Getit, and the performance quality of all the band members can only be partially captured on a recording, but this CD is one of those you can listen to over and over again without getting tired of it. Although it's what people nowadays are calling "swing", this CD is jump blues with an awesome groove. Even if you're not a swing fan, this is simply great music, and you can't go wrong with that.

After becoming addicted to the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies and the Brian Stetzer Orchestra I was looking for more similar pumping Swing music and I found Steve Lucky. This is a great CD. It just a great sounding upbeat CD, funny at times, and always very entertaining. It perhaps has more of a lounge singer-esque stiyle than the others, but I think those who like Big Bad Voodoo Daddies and Brian Stetzer Orchestra would generally enjoy this a lot too. Enjoy.

I was hoping to find a disk with the Blue Front Persuaders (BFP's). But no luck. But I did find this disk with Steve Lucky who lead the BFP's and it's the next best thing. A lot of fun songs with a good beat which was the hall mark of the BFP's. If you like boogie woogie, good singing and playing you won't be disappointed.

Although swing dancers will no dought love swing dancing to this(especially the lindy hop), there is more boogie woogie R&B as well as jump blues here then traditional swing. The music does sound as if it were recorded circa 1949 to 1956. Steve Lucky's vocals are friendly and bluesy, however it is Carmen Getit's vocals that really steal the show, she is one hep chick! Getit also plays acoustic guitar and Lucky plays piano. The rest of the band is tight and mostly backs up it's main stars Lucky & Getit, who trade off with each other both instrumentally and vocally. The band really jumps hard, and you can tell they were a blues outfit, before the swing fad thing in the late 90's. The horns get some solos, brief, but with every note counting, and the rhythm section stomps. A great band that covers rockabilly legend Gene Vincent's hit "Jump Back, Honey, Hump Back" as well as a Getit vocal feature of Helen Humes' racious & popular r&b hit "I Ain't Gonna Quit You Baby." All the songs are great and all generes from rockabilly to jump blues are covered, and though there isn't much traditional swing, all the music SWINGS hard, weather it be r&b, blues or early rock'n'roll, this band is a swingin' tight combo, and Getit's vocals are the icing on the cake, making this cd ESSENTIAL!!!

I know swing and this is true swing baby. I heard this band once and I was impressed. Too all you true swing cats this is a great band. I love the male and female duet and the orchestra. I know swing and this is swing. This is now one of my favorite bands. Lets keep the music beautiful and positive.

Unless my eyes deceived me and my ears took a vacation, I believe the Rhumba Bums were briefly in the movie "Be Cool" Robert Pastorelli plays a manager/bouncer at a dance hall. I believe the group performing while he's in his dance hall is the Rhumba Bums. It's a shame the track didn't make the Soundtrack album.
Other great groups from the swing revival era include Indigo Swing, Bill Elliott's Big Band, "Alien Fashion Show" and Brian Setzer when he puts his mind to it.
You might also pick up on Phil Collins CD "A Night in Paris", Carly Simon's "Moonlight Serenade", even Barry Manilow does a great job in "Swingin' with the Big Bands".
It didn't take tremendous vocal range or talent for singers in that original big band era, just listen to the likes of the Eberle brothers and several others I can think of. Therefore it should not be a surprise when rock era voices can make a success singing the old big band hits. What it took was great arranging and orchestration, with the singer fitting into what was going on rather that dominating it. Listen to Tex Beneke do the vocal on the original Chattanooga Choo Choo. It helps that Tex was also a tremendous sax player. He just used his voice as he did his sax to make the song as great as it was...of course having the Glenn Miller band behind you didn't hurt. Listen to Sheena Easton do "Sentimental Journey"...the 1945 Les Brown/Doris Day hit...it's on a Swing Lives CD.
You like the tight R & B sound from the late 40's?... try any one of Mitch Woods and the Rocket 88's CDs.
I agree with several of the folks here...there was good swing revival music in the late 90's and even into the new century. As usual however, it was buried under a lot of trash.....just remember under all that horse manure...you can sometimes find a pony....but you gotta be willing to dig through it.

I've bought about 4 copies of this. My son took one, I gave one to my old sax teacher; the other just disappeared. As an amateur sax player I can't get enough of this CD. Steve Lucky supplements his two regulars, Rob Sudduth and Peter Cornell with Jules Broussard and Sean Hiemstra on some of the cuts. Combine them and you get some incredibly musical solos to go with super jump blues and swing tracks, some original some old standards. Rumpus Room Honeymoon lays down a hard driving swing beat, Wall to Wall Sax a joyous instrumental featuring the entire sax section. Buy this CD!! Steve Lucky, when are you going to make another one?

My wife and I caught the band at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco this past weekend and they were amazing. Very polished performers, but with an edgy, kickin' beat. Steve Lucky's keyboard skills are top notch and Carmen Getit is one SEXY (not to mention VERY talented) performer. We bought one CD there and we're ordering another four from Amazon for family and friends.

The CD is great, but as several other reviewers have said - go see the show if you can. They're definitely worth the effort!

I saw this band in Chicago. They were so good I hired them for a gig. This is one group that you must have in your CD collection. See them LIVE if you can,they put on a show. Watch for a new CD soon.