Divine sounds
I only recently head of the Puppini Sisters, but already I am a big fan.
While I did like their first effort (Betcha Bottom Dollar), they really take off with The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo [apparently the reference is to a particular shade of lipstick favored by the glam gal singers of yesteryear after whom they fashion themselves [read = Andrews Sisters], and which the three current ladies still wear].
Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien, and Kate Mullins (not real sisters, clearly) revisit old favorites, like "It Don't Mean A Thing [If It Ain't Got That Swing]", and "Old Cape Cod". They also tangle with established tunes, on which they place their distinctive mark ("Spooky", "Walk Like An Egyptian" --BRILLIANT, BTW--and "Could It Be Magic".)
But the trio really makes a splash with their original work on "Ruby Woo".
The peppy, delightfully dance-worthy "Soho Nights" stands out as a wonderful example of how the neo-swing sound has been captured by these songstresses. "I Can't Believe I'm Not A Millionaire" slides back to the early days of blues (Billie Holiday could have done it sixty years ago).
"And She Sang" incorporates their mellifluous harmonization to great effect, while "It's Not Over (Death or the Toy Piano" has a unique sound all its own, with the selfsame toy piano actually employed in the tune (!)
I love the Neo-Swing revival that burst into life in the late 1990s, its advent brought on by "Swingers" and such greats as the Cherry-Poppin' Daddies, Brian Setzer Orchestra, and the everlasting glory that was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Curiously, no girl group emerged at that time in homage to the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, and their ilk: but the Puppini Sisters fills this gap beautifully.
I am looking forward to further divine sounds produced by them!
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Vocal Harmony, Fun & Games: The Sisters Do It Again!
Responding to the reviewer who labeled this disc "dreck:" I'll say that he has a right to his opinion, of course, but I think he must not be listening to the radio. This new Puppini Sisters CD is much better than most of the REAL dreck being dribbled upon the airwaves. At least these women have personality and a recognizable sound. Most of the female vocalists these days sound just like each other, with all the rough edges smoothed out and any personal quirks removed. Their music is often just an exercise in vocal pyrotechnics with no real soul behind it. At least the Puppini Sisters have come up with their own sound.
Another reviewer described the Puppini's as "lifeless." Say, what? Was this CD actually listened to all the way through? This record fairly crackles with energy.
Still another listener complained that so many of theses songs were not recognizable. If the liner info had been read, it would have been noticed that several tracks are originals by each of the Puppini sisters. This fact alone makes this release more ambitious than the previous one was. And a couple of these originals do not disgrace themselves in the presence of the peerless Duke Ellington or John Barry and Hal David, also represented by songs on THE RISE & FALL OF RUBY WOO. Stephanie O'Brien's "Soho Nights" sounds like it was written sixty years ago, although the lyrics betray its modernity. It's a delightful little faux-Bohemian romp. Marcella Puppini's "Jilted" is a bit long for its limited, unoriginal idea, but it has a memorable melody. Another one of her songs, "And She Sang," is lots of fun, with its combination of Italian street café music and classical flourishes, punctuated with haunted house-evoking double bass and slide guitar. Kate Mullins' fine "It's Not Over (Death Or The Toy Piano)" reminds me a little of The Squirrel Nut Zippers, combining familiar-sounding music with an offbeat lyric and a darker mood.
As with BETCHA BOTTOM DOLLAR there's a willingness to play with more modern fare, and I don't mean just in retrofitting newer songs. The arrangements have been made appropriate to the songs, and one remembers the originals without automatically thinking of these new versions as just inferior covers; at least, that's my own experience. As the Sisters did with Blondie's "Heart of Glass" and Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" on the previous release, they breathe a new and different light into songs from the '70's on up to our present time. The Bangles' "Walk Like An Egyptian," Beyonce's "Crazy In Love," and yes, you heard it right, Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic" are all unexpected choices. Although "Walk" is fun, it's not strong enough to give the original a run for its money. The other two are another story: I like them both much better than the authors' own recordings of them! Good covers should be different than than their previous, hit versions, and all of these arrangements fit that particular bill.
The instrumental backing throughout this record is even more accomplished and varied than on its predecessor. Once more, it's old-timey, but with a bit more emphasis on the drums and bass than one might hear in the late `30's and `40's. And there are some nice flavors of gypsy swing and touches of acoustic psychedelia provided by the odd toy piano, triangle and melodica. The sisters themselves, further enhancing their legitimacy as musicians, sometimes play these instruments and others, including accordion and violin.
Not everything works here, I should add, without dumping on this effort as a whole. "Spooky" disappointed me in its failure to BE spooky, although it's growing on me some. "We Have All The Time In the World" just can't hold a candle to the Louis Armstrong version, although it does capture a kind of dreaminess. Somehow, it lacks some of the energy the Puppini's usually deliver. Not surprisingly, the Duke Ellington track, "It Don't Mean A Thing..." is the least original performance, here. It's so like a dozen other recorded versions I've heard, and even still, the Sisters don't toss it off as though they're not all that interested. Once they've gotten the perfunctory part out of the way, they break the rhythm and launch into a slower improvisation, before returning to the swing portion, and inserting, just for kicks, a brief vocal lick from "Mambo Italiano."
Whatever its flaws, I give this CD four stars, and would add another half star if Amazon allowed it. The Puppini's should also be commended for being among the few acts reviving early jazz and swing styles that don't just present museum-quality copies. Rather, they update the music without disrespecting it. For me, this puts them in fine company with the Squirrel Nut's, Leon Redbone and Bob Brozman. Whenever The Sisters do try to sound just like voices from a bygone era, as they do on "Old Cape Cod," they produce a sonic glow of beauty and purity that I find hard to resist. Patti Page would have been proud!
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