COMPOSERS: Various
LABELS: Divine Art
PERFORMER: Mart Sander, Kelli Uustani, Mariliina von Vexküll (vocals); Bel-Etage Swing Swindlers
CATALOGUE NO: 25034
This disc is by no means perfect. Many of these tunes became jazz standards, but the Estonian band’s behind-the-beat approach isn’t appropriate given the rat-tat-tat precision demanded by the dance music of the period, while the vocalists exaggerate the lightness and cut-glass diction traditionally associated with such material.
The latter results in a sense of comedic parody at odds with an otherwise sincere approach to the genre, losing them a star or two for performance. All is forgiven, however, given the sheer delight of hearing numbers like ‘Keep Young and Beautiful’ and ‘You’re Getting To Be a Habit With Me’ presented with contemporary expertise and recording technology. Great fun, then, despite the above grumbles. Roger Thomas