Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

J Street Jumpers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 3, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wild Child Records
• ASIN: B00000FBSO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,767 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal, September 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Audio CD)

Compared to the likes of current Retro Swing Bands, that for the most part don't even come close to anything resembling the swing or jump blues bands of the 40's, it is refreshing to hear a band that for the most part, nails it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars J Street where Have You Been Hiding?, July 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Audio CD)

In today's music market, including the world of swing all too often bands appear who are harping on that rock n' roll early 90s sound with a swing beat. This works less often then it is tried. The J Street Jumpers are one of the few bands of late that more than play the notes on the sheet in front of them. The J Street Jumpers feel the music. This is obvious in their recent release "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?". There is an interesting sound at work here that harkens back to the decades of the 30s to the 50s. J Street owes a lot the the allure of Marianna Previti for her vocal stylings that range from Andrew Sister-esque to sounding a little like a young Ella Fitzgerald. Previti delivers her lines with of confidence a determined woman from the silver screen of the 40s. This is actually quite refreshing and something I personally have been wanting to hear from a swing band with female vocals. "Is you is..", begins with a punch with its first track Better Beware, then smoothly slides into a sultry number with Ain't But One. Arthur Gerstein, pianist also provides vocals. Gerstein's vocals on Night Life Boogie lack the knack that Previti's does, but he makes up for his vocals with his piano playing. Amazingly the J Street Jumpers cover Louis Prima's "swing version of Smells Like Teen Spirit", also known as "Jump, Jive & Wail". Here for the first time is an interesting rendition which both Gerstein and Previti share the vocal duties. For once this over-covered song almost works. Sixteen tracks are compiled on this CD, all covers, but done tastefully. Often with well placed passion for the musical execution. J Street's four horn section, upright bass, drums and a well placed electric guitar, please the ears especially on "When I Get Low I Get High" and "Sure Had A Wonderful Time Tonight." J Street, who hail from the Washington DC, visually don't look like the modern 90s swing group, although as mamma always said, "You can't judge a book by it's cover". J Street tends to play more political parties than they do night clubs which is sad, because they have become one of the best kept secrets on the east coast.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A grand swingin' time, September 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Audio CD)

Amazon limits reviews to just a thousand words, so I'll be brief. Listen to this CD! Put it down for a day. Come back to it a day later and listen again. Yep, it's as good the first time you heard it. Probably better. These guys, excuse me and gal, sing and swing. J. Gordon Holt of Stereophile fame once said, and I paraphrase, "if it doesn't make your toe tap, it's not music." Well, this stuff makes your toe tap, your head bop and weave and heck you might even kick the rug back and swing the wife about a bit.

The group is tight. They know their music and don't pretend to know anything other swing. No bossa nova retro be bop hoot and holler stuff. This music takes you back to when a tune was a tune and the lyrics made sense. No special messages, just a tune that rattles around in brain for hours on end. And here's the real bonus. You got to hear their vocalist, Marianna Previti. Where the Jumpers her found has got to be the real story. This is the only recording I know featuring her. Too bad, she's a keeper.

Well, Amazon doesn't provide a word counter and I'm afraid of running over. A grand swingin' group with a spectacularly recorded CD thanks to Mapleshade Records. A must listen.