The Moon-Rays
Swingin At The Seance'
Jump, jive, hot jazz, rompin\', stompin\' halloween swing.
JUMP...JIVE....AND SHREIK!!!
If you only buy one Halloween CD this year, \"Swingin at the Seance\" should be the one!!!!
The songs, with the exception of three originals are all vintage 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s swing tunes that were originally done by the likes of Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Artie Shaw, Louis Jordan and others. Most of these songs have never been touched by anyone since they were first recorded on 78rpm.
The Moon-Rays have dug the Skeletons out of the Closet, dusted them off, and givin them fresh life with these recordings. Staying true to the original recordings yet putting some of the Moon-Rays \"signature\" touches was no easy feat, employing the help of over a dozen musicians and singers to attain that \"original 30\'s sound\".
With marvelous vocals by Vince Clark and Ms. Dixie Villec the Moon-Rays top it off with one of the coolest packaging jobs I\'ve seen in a long time. bringing you right into the haunted Stickney Mansion for a midnight seance\' courtesy of the talented Wendy Amdahl.
Swingin at the Seance\' will be the definite \"must have\" addition to anyone’s swingin Halloween party this year!!!!!!!
MONSTERKID MAGAZINE SAYS:
Swingin\' at the Séance
The Moon-Rays
It\'s always been a little hard to describe the music of The Moon-Rays to the uninitiated. It\'s a blend of so many things that it can\'t really be categorized unless \"cool\" is a musical category of its own. Their past releases have been mainly rooted in the sounds of the \'60s lounge and surf music, but always with a slant toward the unusual and spooky. Songs with titles like Blues for Vampira, The Grim Creeper, Thrillville, Drag Fink, Mysterion, Sophomore Werewolf in Love and The Devil in Nylons gives you some insight into the thematic direction of the group.
In The Moon-Rays\' newest collection of spooky selections titled Swingin\' at the Séance, the band trades in their bongos for brass and they explore some of the more macabre pop songs from the \'30s and \'40s. If you\'re a fan of Big Band music you might recognize the title song as a piece originally recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra in 1941. Other selections were recorded by well-known swing-era artists like Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Louie Armstrong and Bing Crosby.
The complete track list includes You\'ve Got Me Voodoo\'d, Mr. Ghost Goes to town, The Headless Horseman, Nightmare, Jack You\'re Dead, Swingin\' at the Séance, Mysterioso, Skeletons in the Closet, The Spooks Jump In, Shuffle of the Damned, Creepy Charlie and Haunted House Blues (the oldest number on the CD with was recorded by Bessie Smith in 1923). Unless you\'re a devoted fan of old jazz and swing music, you\'re probably not familiar with these songs. The most well-known of the bunch is probably The Headless Horseman which is featured in Walt Disney\'s 1947 animated classic ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD and sung by the aforementioned Mr. Crosby.
Thanks to The Moon-Rays, new listeners can now enjoy these forgotten spook songs for the first time. Band member Scott Mersching explains in the liner notes that he became familiar with most of these songs through his father who played in bands during the \'40s and recalls them as \"Halloween songs\" performed by many bands of that era.
Scott says, \"This CD is for my dad, his generation of musicians, people that have never heard these songs and the people who both know and embrace the music of their fathers and grandfathers.\"
Although a stylistic departure from their previous CDs (Thrills and Chills , The Ghouls Go West and Sinister Surf) with more musicians and more vocals than before, Swingin\' at the Séance hits the target it strives for dead on and conjures up a crystal ball full of swingin\' and spooky listening fun. And special kudos for the CD\'s packaging. It\'s beautifully designed and provides some appropriate tricks and treats with its period-style graphics and Halloween images.
You can sample the music at the Moon-Ray\'s Myspace page and order the disc from the Moon-Rays website. Then grab your ghoul and get ready to hit the dance floor.
Kerry Gammill
Jazz: Jive