The debut album from the Zzymzzy Quartet, Zzwing! gives an exotic twist to jazz standards of the Twenties and Thirties. Clever arrangements, gypsy flourishes, cameos from other great San Diego players, and the antique croonings of singer Pete Miesner charge these Swing Era tunes with renewed sweetness and vitality. Three original "Baby Django" melodies composed by guitarist Beston Barnett round out a classic repertoire from composers like Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, and even Erik Satie.
Review
SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR - by Lou Curtiss
May 2007
Those Gypsy swingers sure get around and the Zzymzzy Quartet is no exception. From Django Hot Club licks by Caravan to South America and New York City, the group covers songs by major songwriters and personalities (Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and others) and do some of their own stuff too, which happily doesn't suffer by comparison. The songs range in a time capsule that covers the late 19th century, and mostly the 1930s (even the 1893 "Gnossienne No. 1, Lent" has a 1930's klezmer touch). Even the Dukish "Caravan" sounds a bit like these guys are hauling bagels from the East Side to Tel Aviv with a stop at the Hot Club to give Django a bite.
We are living in a time when Django Reinhardt is being revered as a minor (at least) deity and every city has a Hot Club or Gypsy swing group of its own. I only have to play Django on my "Jazz Roots" radio show (KSDS 88.3 – a shameless plug) to have the phone light up. There are quite a few people out there playing this music, but very few people playing it as well as these guys. They do all of it well, from the latin "Tico Tico," the slow standard "What'll I Do," and even a touch of Les Paul and Mary Ford on "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" although that Gypsy swing guitar creeps in here too.
The group consists of lead guitarist (and harmony vocalist where needed) Beston Barnett who is mighty fine on old time tunes and his own compositions as well. The clarinet player is Matt Gill who lets good taste keep his solos in bounds (he doesn't try to be Benny Goodman or Dave Taras, he plays what's needed). Pete Miesner is sort of in the same category with his vocals. He doesn't try to sound black or British; he doesn't mumble – just the words that you can understand presented in a pleasing format (his solid rhythm is okay too). Patrick Marion's bass is just what's needed to round out the sound. Guestings by Ray Suen (always a good choice in whatever group he plays that hot violin with) and Rob Duncan's accordion really adds that French cabaret sound. I hadn't heard Chloe Feoranzo's tenor sax before, but she really gives that Johnny Hodges-Harry Carney-Otto Hardwick sound to "Caravan." Chad Farran's doumbek is a nice touch that even Ellington didn't think of.
I only have one criticism of this group. The recording should have been issued on 78s so I could play it on "Jazz Roots." This is one I would hope is in the KSDS record library so that folks around there and other jazz radio stations will play it. The only problem is that with a name like Zzymzzy, they're not exactly going to be first up in alphabetical listings. Maybe that just means an extra special surprise when you get to the end.
The CD release will be held on Thursday, May 1 at the La Jolla Firehouse YMCA on Herschel Street in La Jolla at 9pm.
Credits
Zzymzzy Quartet is:
Beston Barnett - guitar, background vocals
Matt Gill - clarinet
Patrick Marion - upright bass
Pete Miesner - guitar, lead vocals
with:
Hal Smith - drum kit
Lover, Come Back To Me
written by S. Romberg, O. Hammerstein II (1928)
featuring Ray Suen on violin
Gnossienne No. 1, Lent
written by E. Satie (1893)
Judy
written by H. Carmichael, S. Lerner (1938)
with Matt Gill on bass clarinet and Pete Miesner whistling
Caravan
written by J, Tizol, D. Ellington, I. Mills (1937)
featuring Chloe Feoranzo on tenor sax and Chad Farran on doumbek
Baby Django Promenade
written by B. Barnett (2004)
What'll I Do
written by I. Berlin (1923)
Let Yourself Go
written by I. Berlin (1936)
featuring Rob Duncan on accordion
If I Had You
written by J. Campbell, R. Connelly, T. Shapiro (1928)
Tico-Tico No Fubá
written by Z. de Abreu (1917)
with Beston Barnett on pandeiro
Baby Django Boom-Boom
written by B. Barnett (2005)
with Beston Barnett on kazoos
The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
written by E. Lockhart, E. Seitz (1919)
Baby Django Creep
written by B. Barnett (2004)
