Search - Red Stick Ramblers :: Right Key Wrong Keyhole

Superb

D. Elliott | Philadelphia | 09/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw these guys at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the were fantastic. Very skilled musicians playing original material and blending music of different genres. Keep your eye on these boys, they will continue to do great things ! They are even better live, if you get a chance to see them, don't miss it."

Elegant Cajun gypsy jazz swing

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The third CD from this Baton Rouge-based quintet ably stretches their fiddle-led gypsy jazz over a variety of styles. Linzay Young's old-timey blue-jazz vocals are a fine fit for Louisiana rhythms, country weepers, Western Swing, and vocal standards, and the band's originals mingle effortlessly among the well-selected covers. Fellow-travelers like Hot Club of Cowtown cook with similar ingredients, but the Ramblers' five-piece line-up provides a meatier sound, and their Louisiana stock adds a zest above and beyond the elemental ingredients.



Bob Wills' "That's What I Like About the South" is given a jump-blues edge and Clifton Chenier's "It's Hard to Love Someone" is sung with the jazzy inflections of Mose Allison's early work. The '30s jazz tune "It Ain't Right" is given to swinging fiddle and hot-picked guitar, and the band's originals include both country and Cajun waltzes and a tearful, close-harmony prison tune. Elegant taste, masterful playing, and a rambler's wanderlust make this disc a winner."

I guess I like Louisiana musicians

RJB | Moline, IL United States | 07/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I heard these guys live while streaming WDVX a month or so ago. They sounded pretty good and since I like the title song, which was in rotation on the station at the time, I bought the CD. An excellent decision. Not since Mary Gauthier's "Mercy Now" has a single CD spun so many times in my deck; if it were vinyl it'd be worn out. It goes from Bob Wills to Cab Calloway by way of Jole Blon. These guys have an arsenal of 70-year-old swing/jazz/blues cliches and they've mastered them. I have two concerns, but only the latter has an impact on the CD and that impact is marginal. 1) The piano is integral (and essential) on most of the cuts but the players appear to be sidemen, not part of the band. 2) An accordian would be a nice addition to the pieces with a Cajun or Parisian feel."