The Hotel Child

Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos, Ingrid Lucia

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 25, 2000)
• Original Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Artists Only Records
• ASIN: B00003XAR4
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #139,542 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Among the swing revivalists--from the Squirrel Nut Zippers to Royal Crown Revue and Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers--no musician can chart his or her pedigree back the way singer Ingrid Lucia and bassist Todd Londagin can. As kids, the story goes, the pair were members of the Flying Neutrinos Family band, living in hotels, playing swing on rafts, and, likely, storing key data for their own Flying Neutrinos. The Hotel Child is the third effort by Lucia, Londagin, guitarist Matt Munisteri, bassist Matt Weiner, and a handful of assorted horns, drums, and accordion. Their music bumps with a sprightly step, buoyed by Lucia's early-Billie Holiday tinged voice and the band's languid looseness. Their brand of swing isn't hyped up with bombastic horn charts or even slicked up like the Zippers. It's much more relaxed, laid-back like so much music from their one-time home, New Orleans. It's got the sway of a humid afternoon woven through the lyrics, calling out for dancers in a way that's almost completely low-key. The swing's not particularly speedy or complex, but it's heartfelt and, with Lucia's voice, altogether magnetic. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't stop listening to it!, February 15, 2000

By	Mark J. Wilder "joeyhemlock" (Chicago IL, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Flying Neutrinos are a tough band to classify. They're usually lumped in with the Neo-swing movement, which is unfair. If you're looking for traditional big-band swing, you'll only find one song on this album ("Mr. Zoot Suit"). They're jazzy in some songs ("Baby's Making Duck", "Someday You'll Be Sorry"), torchy in others ("Johnny", "Lonely Side"), but overall I'd have to put them in the Jazz or (gasp!) Easy Listening category. Ingrid's voice (with it's well acknowledges Bessie Smith influence) is superb, Todd's trombone is solid, and every track is a winner. My personal favorites are "Cry", "Johnny", "Baby's Making Duck", and "Lonely Side", which all happened to be penned by the band's guitarist Matt Munisteri.

The Neutrinos have two discs now, and I much as Iloved the first one, I think this one is better. I can't give any higher recommendation for fans of good music! If you like the previews for tracks 2-5, you'll like the album (track 1 is a great song, but is the only song of its type on the CD).

And don't even get me started on how much I like Ingrid's cover photo...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweaty Swing, June 4, 2000

By	David E. Hartman (Highland Park, ILLINOIS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Think New Orleans, in a hotel room thick with humidity and flowers, listening to a Swing band playing across the street, fronted by a woman who sounds like Billie Holiday on pheromones, while your lover draws a fingertip up your spine. That's this CD exactly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Stop Tapping My Toe, February 16, 2002

By	"jmwarn01" (Webster Groves, MO United States) - See all my reviews

A great recording by a great group. The first cut, "Mr. Zoot Suit" is an exciting retro-30's big-band tune with a surprising arrangement that will keep you playing it over and over. The retro style carries through much of the CD.

"Hotel Child" is different in style from their debut "I'd Rather Be in New Orleans," so don't expect more of the same.