Customer Reviews

Swingbilly Blues

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Goes down smooth. If Belgian Gypsy Django Rheinhardt were alive today and living in New Jersey this is an album he might have a hand in. Emminently listenable and fun for blues and jazz-guitar fans alike.

I really liked this CD - the way they did "Home On the Range" with the cha-cha beat was very catchy and different. The original tunes were terrific, especially "Turnpike" - being from NJ, I could definitely relate! All in all, a great listen; I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes bluegrass, jazz or music with a good beat!

Terrific to listen to tooling down the highway, it's got great guitar and strong vocals. It's a perfect CD for summer!

i've heard these guys live at a couple of spots at the shore in New Jersey. They havea great beat and terrific presence. The miracle is that they have transferred this energy onto the CD, which is really hard to do with small intimate groups like this.
I just love them. The vocals are great and the lead singer adds alot of pizzazz to his music.

Mike Barris & Co. belt out nine fun tunes that will get your toes tapping from the first time the brush hits the snare drum. Light without being wispy, "Swingbilly Blues" is a polished outing that relies more on rhythm and musicianship than it does on turning the knobs to "11." Listeners should find pleasure in instrumentals like "Home on the Range" as well as folksy originals like "Talkin' Turnpike Blues," in which lead singer and guitarist Barris channels Steve Goodman. Good for a summer day in the yard or a weekend at home, or for a quick highway drive.

This is an accomplished work by a unique talent.

Outstanding! Spirited and skilled musician with a down-home flair. Lots of fun. Have been playing in my car for 3 weeks straight.

Beware. I bought this disk purely on the basis of the reviews I read. What a disappointment. While Mike Barris is certainly a skilled guitar player, that is not enough. He did sound like he was enjoying himself, although that is not necessarily a good reason to go public. The percussionist seems to have a gift, and I kept hoping to hear more from him and less of the singing. Or none of the singing at all. Most of the songs sounded about the same to me and gave me the feeling I was fending off a headache--every time I tried to listen to it. Ah well, different strokes....