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<DIV>The Hot Sardines reviewed </DIV>
<DIV> Hot Sardines Re-Heat the Oldies</DIV>
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<DIV>by Greg Haymes </DIV>
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<DIV>Albany Times-Union, October 1, 2016 </DIV>
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<DIV>The rock-era swing revival probably hit its peak on Jan. 31, 1999, when Big
Bad Voodoo Daddy played the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXIII. But that doesn't
mean that it's over.</DIV>
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<DIV>In fact, New York City's Hot Sardines swung into The Egg's Swyer Theatre on
Friday evening, the same night the like-minded Postmodern Jukebox was playing
down the street at the Palace Theatre. The difference between the two bands is
that while Postmodern Jukebox re-interprets today's contemporary pop hits in
vintage style and arrangements, the Hot Sardines go all in, reviving the songs
as well as the sounds of the bygone era.</DIV>
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<DIV>Led by pianist Evan Palazzo and chanteuse Elizabeth Bougerol, the
eight-member band -- featuring a three-piece horn section and, yes, even a tap
dancer -- swing-swang-swung through an 85-minute concert filled with gems from
yesteryear, dustin' 'em off, puttin' a bit of spit 'n' polish on 'em and
knockin' it out of the park. From the down 'n' dirty opener, "When I Get Low (I
Get High)," to the ukulele-fueled encore of "I Wanna Be Like You" from "The
Jungle Book" (swung in French, by the way), the band was utterly charming,
albeit admittedly a bit "punchy and jet-lagged," playing their first show back
home since a 10-concert tour of Japan.</DIV>
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<DIV>Along the way, they served up a variety of Gypsy jazz standards ("Sweet
Sue," again sung in French), jug-band favorites (a sassy "I Wish I Could Shimmy
Like My Sister Kate"), New Orleans Mardi Gras staples (a rollicking rendition of
Professor Longhair's "Big Chief," with bassist Evan Crane switching over to
Sousaphone) and show tunes (Rodgers and Hart's "Thou Swell" as a showcase for
drummer Alex Raderman).</DIV>
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<DIV>Tap dancer "Fast Eddie" Francisco kept his toes tappin' all night long, but
his fleet-footed dazzle proved to be most dynamic during his showcase on Count
Basie's "Cute."</DIV>
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<DIV>And although they never mentioned it, the band deserves kudos for shining a
spotlight on the works of the women of the jazz era, as they offered Lil
Hardin's "Struttin' With Some Barbecue" (with Bougerol strapping on a washboard
for additional percussion), Billie Holiday's blues ballad "Mean to Me" and
Bessie Smith's pleading "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home."</DIV>
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<DIV>At the end of the night, Bougerol thanked the crowd for "proving that music
from 100 years ago is not dead."</DIV>
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<DIV>No, Elizabeth, thank you.</DIV>
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<DIV>-30</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"><BR><BR>Bob
Ringwald piano, Solo, Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet <BR>Fulton Street Jazz Band
(Dixieland/Swing)<BR>916/ 806-9551<BR>Amateur (ham) Radio Station
K6YBV<BR><BR>No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be
stationery.</DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>