Customer Reviews

Sweet & Swingin

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Like many Sugar Ray fans I was originally attracted to his big, sweaty harmonica sound - certainly as good a pretender to the Little Walter throne as any contemporary harp player. In his new solo effort - his first since fronting Roomful of Blues for that band's most successful run - Ray continues his wicked harmonica playing but also reveals his easy-going vocals and impeccable arranging skills. This album is a superb effort, each track a winner. I know of no more rocking tune than Need My Baby, one that you'll get your feet tapping and hips swinging. Buy this album, turn up the volume and groove to the best rocking blues recording in years.

This is a standard in my CD changer. If you like Roomful you love this one. Sugar Ray's harp is outstanding as usual and the songs are full of classic blues riffs. His vocals are a delight. There isn't a track on this CD I don't like. You gotta love "No Good Woman'

I've been following Roomful of Blues for years and Sugar Ray's departure from the band hasn't hurt him one bit. His voice is still smooth as silk and the song selection is exactly what I like: a little bit of old fashioned swing with a lot of that crooner style singing. Sugar Ray is dynamite. Excellent backup from his band.

Someone may have once said "Writing about enjoyable music is like talking about riding a bike." For bikes are made for riding and music is made for singing, playing, listening, and enjoying. Writing reduces the vibrant living spirit of music, that we all so much enjoy, to some carefully chosen words on a printed page. I can't capture the vibrant spirit of Sweet and Swingin' with a few sentences, but I'll sure try. Sugar Ray Norcia and his band have skillfully done their best work by singing and playing eleven great songs on Sweet and Swingin' and our pleasant job is to listen to and highly enjoy each and every one of them. If one simple statement can possibly characterize this cd, it is that SWEET AND SWINGIN' IS A GREAT LISTEN! I first learned to highly enjoy Sugar Ray Norcia's smooth, warm, and inviting singing voice on Ronnie Earl's Deep Blues cd. Then I found and highly enjoyed two Roomful of Blues' cds that feature Sugar Ray's voice, Dance All Night and Roomful of Christmas. Finally, I purchased Sweet and Swingin' because I wanted to hear Sugar Ray Norcia sing after he left the Roomful of Blues band and went solo. Roomful of Blues cds are mostly jazz blues music with a big band sound that emphasizes brass instruments. On Sweet and Swingin' we hear Sugar Ray's voice accompanied by only the guitar, piano, drums, and Sugar Ray's harmonica, with just a touch of saxophone and trumpet on just one song. So the sound of the musical accompaniment is more subdued on Sweet and Swingin'. Because the big brass sound is absent, we can more easily focus upon Sugar Ray's smooth vocals. I prefer Sugar Ray's accompaniment on Sweet and Swingin'; it better showcases Sugar Ray's fabulous voice. The types of music on Sweet and Swingin are also different than the jazz blues music found on Roomful of Blues' cds. On Sweet and Swingin' there is some jazz blues and some blues, but the majority of songs on Sweet and Swingin' are rhythm and blues music. Sugar Ray is a master singer of rhythm and blues. There is something totally great about the music on Sweet and Swingin' that makes me so easily sit back, open myself to the music, relax, and deeply enjoy each and every song. The music is so well performed, the songs are so easy to highly appreciate, the mood is relaxed, and Sugar Ray's voice is so right for the music. I actually feel this smooth and delightful blues music drifting through me. I experience a wonderful feeling; everything is right in the world and life becomes eleven great songs! My very positive recommendation is that if you like easy blues music that swings and also like smooth male vocals, you should definitely purchase and enjoy Sugar Ray Norcia's Sweet and Swingin'.

John

I must say that I'm a fan of Sugar Ray's work since the early 1980's, when I saw him live with the Bluetones in Madrid. Then, as a teenager discovering blues music's magic, I thought: "Hey, this man comb his hair just like young Muddy, and blows like Little Walter!". Well, I mostly love the records by black bluesmen from 1920's to 1980's, but Mr Norcia was always my favorite exception (next only to, maybe, Ken Saydak and Ronnie Earl too).

I treasure most if not all of his recordings, but this "Sweet & Swingin'" is in my opinion simply his best work yet, next to the early album "Knockout" and some marvelous vocal contributions to albums by the Roomful, Ronnie Earl and Otis Grand (superb "There Was A Time" on "Grand Union").

On the R&B side, Sugar Ray is unbeatable on tunes like "You'd Better Move On" or "Tomorrow Night". I don't ever get tired of listen 'em! But if you want a heavy dose of classic, Golden-Age Chicago blues sound, just try those fabulous renditions of Big Walter's "Need My Baby" and Jimmy Rogers' "Money, Marbles". Breathtakin'. High on blues, yes indeed!

OK, I admit that I am biased towards Sugar Ray. As has been said, "the man can sing!" And on this CD he is at his best. This 1998 release came after he fronted Roomful of Blues for 6 years. In the liner notes Ray states that,"this is a collection of songs that I have wanted to record for years." Indeed, this is the CD that Ray has always wanted to make. Anyone who knows music, particularly the blues, realizes that Ray is one of the very best harmonica players performing today. What some might not realize is that his most powerful instrument is his voice! What a baritone!

This CD is all covers (no originals here) but Ray does a masterful job. I have seen/heard him perform several of these songs live, and it is awesome to hear him sing "No Good Woman", "It's a Low Down Dirty Shame," and others. On this CD Ray is joined on two tracks by the infamous Jordanaires ( "You Better Move On," "Tomorrow Night") and Ray does a superb job with both of these tunes, backed by these four wonderful backup singers.

The other musicians are all stellar performers, including Matt McCabe, Kid Bangham, Marty Ballou, Doug James, Neal Gouvin, Greg Mazel, and Rob Nelson.

The 11 songs that Ray has chosen are a great mix of tunes written by such luminaries as Jimmy Rogers, Walter Horton, Hank Williams, Pee Wee Crayton, and others.

I love this CD, more for Ray's singing, though the playing is equally superb. There are no weak cuts here -- you can play this from beginning to end with no need to fast forward. This one's a keeper! Enjoy!

It has all kinds of beats, this is one for the book