Jumpin' Jive

by

Joe Jackson

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The "retro-swing" movement of the late 1990s really started in 1981 with this album, the first genuine piece of retro-swing. In the midst of the electronic 80s era, Joe Jackson's pure hard-swingin' album covering old jazz swing classics from the 1930s and 40s was both a complete anachronism and a jolt of musical energy. It never achieved huge mainstream popularity, but has been a consistent seller since it came out and helped revive swing the 1990s. Many of the popular 1990s swing bands performed the songs that Joe Jackson covered, often sounding very close to Jackson's versions. For example, the incredible San Francisco band Lee Press-On and the Nails perform "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid" and "How Long Must I Wait for You" in their live shows in renditions that sound like direct homages to Joe Jackson.

This album still rocks the house, and it has aged better than 90% of the music from the early 1980s. It still sounds fresh, fun, and energetic, and seems to leap out of the speakers and crash right into your living room (especially with the superb re-mastering; it sounds better than it ever has). Swing is timeless music that every generation discovers and re-discovers, and Joe Jackson knew exactly how to maintain that quality in his covers. These aren't "modernizations" of the music, but THE music, just as it was enjoyed in 1930s and 1940s.

On the back of the album cover is a brief blurb the Jackson wrote in 1998 about how he got together his band (seven pieces) and recorded the album. Jackson, a man who seems to have experimented with every musical genre imaginable, sings and plays the vibes. The band isn't quite as sharp as the musicians on the originals, but they're skilled and more than make up for it with enthusiasm. Jackson's voice fits the music well, and he has fun with different voices, especially on "You Run Your Mouth and I'll Run My Business."

The songs here principally come from the early jump blues tradition and from the novelty songs of Cab Calloway. The hardest swinging piece and the big stunner of the album is the opener, "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid." Legendary saxophonist Lester Young wrote this piece in 1940s (named after a popular New York DJ), and Jackson and Co. really tear into it with high speed fury. It's joyful, jazzy, high-energy...in other words, it's the essence of swing.

All the other tracks are great too. "San Francisco Fan" is a slow, gritty blues from the Cab Calloway camp that is similar to two of his most popular numbers, "St. James Infirmary" and "Minnie the Moocher." Jackson growls and snarls the lyrics in a menacing way. Two other Cab Calloway covers, "The Jumpin' Jive" and "We the Cats (Shall Hep You)," let the band rip into some of the most delightful bits of scat nonsense ever written ("Reap this Righteous Riff, mop! mop!" "The Jim Jam Jump is the Jumpin' Jive makes you dig your jive on the mellow side!"). Some of the numbers come from famous jump blues singer and saxman Louis Jordan: the bluesy "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," "You Run Your Mouth and I'll Run My Business," and the very funny "Jack Your Dead." The Jordan numbers helped re-popularize the artist in the 1990s, and his songs became the most popular for retro-swingers to cover.

Finally, Jackson attacks a number that Glenn Miller made into a #1 hit, "Tuxedo Junction." However, Jackson goes back to the original performed by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra and makes it sassy and loud. It's one of the most inventive adaptations on the album.

On the back cover, Jackson mentions that people have always asked him if he plans to make another album like this one. His response is `no,' because if people want to have more of the same, they should go back to the source. Although I certainly wouldn't mind a "Jumpin' Jive 2," I agree with Jackson's sentiments: this is a great `gateway' album to introduce you to classic jazz swingers like Jordan, Young, Basie, Hawkins, and Calloway. Anyone who has enjoyed retro-swing will absolutely love this. Anyone who already loves old swing will appreciate Jackson's very respectful and high-energy covers. Heck, anyone who just loves rock or quality popular music will probably love this album. It helped revive a classic form of American music and has become a classic itself. Come on and Jump with Symphony Joe! Let it roll!

When I first was turned on to this LP by a kindly bartender at The Buckaroo in '82, I was knocked out. Joe Jackson's family roots in big band swing melding with his late 70's nuevo wave-o persona slipped into my personal playlist in a heartbeat. Then, without warning, I tripped over LOUIS JORDAN. Fully 6 of the 12 cuts here are dead-on covers of Jordans raucous, rockin' stuff from the 30's-50's. I'll always love this disc for the memories, but I haven't heard it since I got into Louis Jordan's stuff. LJ is reet complete! Of course, that doesn't stop me from digging Joe's other stuff. If you are a new or old Joe Jackson fan, dig this disc, then check out Louis Jordan(not the French dude, either).