4.0 out of 5 stars
Rebirth of the cool, February 16, 2001
This cd was made for latenight playing. On This Is For The Night People, Ralph combines the cool jazz feel of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan with a modern pop sense, and adds smart, drowsy-eyed, sometimes funny lyrics to complete the package. Frontman Ralph Alfonso continues the tradional melding of jazz and Beat poetry, following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Kenneth Patchen, and Langston Hughes. Poetically speaking, he holds his own; the opening track 'Wet Cigarette' is a perfect example, just simple musings similar to that of Tom Waits' output in the 70's.
But it's not just hipster poetry. The rest of the band backs up the lyrics perfectly, and shows its jazzy chops on three short instrumentals. The musicianship and poetry come together the best on 'John Coltrane New York City', an imagined scenario taking place at the Village Vangurd in the Fifties.
There are also three songs featuring guest vocalists (the best being Bridget Sullivan's work on the folky 'That's What Lonely People Do'), as well as a couple nods to Mr. Kerouac himself, in the form of a cover version of the classic 'Pull My Daisy', and the great original tune 'Goodbye Jack. Kerouac.'. The album comes to a fitting end with the surprising cover of the obscure Rolling Stones song '(Walkin' Through) The Sleepy City'. Over the melancholy piano chords, Alfonso recites the words instead of singing them, transforming the song into a sad, but fine ending to an excellent album.
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