PMR-019 "Bug Alley" © 1980
Karen Young
Vocal, Shaker Liz Tansey
Vocal Steve Cole
Vocal, Guitar, Banjo David Thompson
Vocal, Basses Andre' White
Drums, Piano, Bell Doug Walter
Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophones,
Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo, Piano Mike Pinsonneault
Vocal, Alto Saxophone Charles Ellison
Trumpet Muhammad Abdul Al-Khabyyr
Trombone Christine Beckett
Viola John Rudel
Congas, Bongos, Bell Bop Follies (Mike Pinsonneault)
3:42 Down for the Count (Frank Foster
and Jon Hendricks) 4:30 Bijou (Ralph
Burns and Jon Hendricks) 2:34 Art's Oregano
(Art Pepper) 5:16 Steppin' Around
(P.D.) 5:56 Boswell Medley 4:37
Dinah (Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young and Harry Akst) Heebie
Jeebies (P.D.) Everybody Loves My Baby
(Jack Palmer and Spencer Williams) Sancho Suite (Mike
Pinsonneault) 6:18 Footprints (Wayne
Shorter) 4:39 Daybreak (Steve Cole
and Mike Pinsonneault) 4:26 Milestones (Miles
Davis) 3:17 |
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Down for the Count |
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Bijou |
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Art's Oregano |
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Steppin' Around |
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Boswell Medley
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-Everybody Loves My Baby |
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Sancho Suite |
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Footprints |
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Daybreak |
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Milestones |
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A stunner -- bold and fresh.
Every once in a while, an album comes along that stuns a listener
by its boldness and freshness. Such records are rare, rarer still
when they happen to be Canadian.
Bug Alley is such a record.
A remarkable debut.
Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun |
Their music swings and goes down so easy it's only a matter of
time before they can woo the pop audience.
Matt Radz, The Montreal Star |
"Daybreak," Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" with
Mike Pinsonneault's lyrics, and Art Pepper's "Art Oregano"
with Young adding the lyrics are real treasures. The group sparkles
throughout, making it a superlative endeavor.
Harold Fuller, Spin Off |
Once in a very great while, a recording appears that forces us
to... simply listen. Bug Alley is such a recording. This Canadian
vocal/instrumental group leaps across eras and styles with dizzying
abandon, and in the process creates music that is as accessible
to Benny Goodman or Charlie Parker fans as it is to followers of
contemporary groups such as Weather Report or Manhattan Transfer.
The "secret" of their success is commitment to -- and
respect for -- their sources... Bug Alley cares. So will you.
Bug Alley should appeal to listeners of practically any stylistic
preference, and this album is one of the rare recordings that
show "hit" potential without overtly pandering to commercial
exigencies. I can think of no other recent release that is so
immediately ingratiating and full of fun.
Bill Barton |
"Bug Alley," in speakeasies of the 1920s, that meant
May Day, and now it means a singing group that stresses vocal jazz,
in the big band groove. Versatile indeed.
Jack Burke, Daily Journal |
Bug Alley is among the more tasteful and musically satisfying
of the current crop of vocal and instrumental groups which draw
their material primarily from big swing bands and small jazz combos.
And taste and musicianship permeate the group's new album, titled
Bug Alley, for P.M. Records.
The members of this group... are excellent singers and capable
instrumentalists at the very least. They perform a very pleasant
and often exciting set of tunes with a satisfying awareness of
the music.
Bug Alley is certainly one of the standout vocal-instrumental
groups to show up on records and seems to have a bright future.
Georgia Urban, The Knickerbocker News |
They... cover everything from rag to Miles ("Milestones"
is especially good) seeming to put no stylistic limitations on themselves.
It's this kind of varied jazz/pop music that we could do with a
lot more of.
Eric Snider |
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