Album Notes

Bob Hoose And His Orchestra: Something Old, Something New -

Their first studio effort shines! 18 wonderful Big Band tracks are complimented by 7 original arrangements written exclusively for the orchestra, 3 of which are original compositions! A great mixture of "swing" numbers along with some choice "ballads". This orchestra cooks like Count Basie's!

Based in West Palm Beach, Florida - "Bob Hoose And His Orchestra" have been wowing SRO crowds for years! A full 16-piece 'big band' with members that read like a 'who's who' in the music industry. Directed by Frank Derrick.

www.bobhooseorchestra.com


Here's what Jazziz Magazine has to say:

It's unfortunate that what Bob Hoose And His Orchestra do so well, almost everyone else does so poorly.

Hoose and his formidable band are often lumped together with other regional acts who "do Sinatra." But that's unfair, for a couple of reasons.

First, Hoose has hired a 16-piece group that rivals anyone out there, regional or national. It helps that Hoose is based in South Florida, where many phenomenal jazz musicians from "up north" have come to retire, rehab, or defrost. Led by musical director / drummer Frank Derrick, some of these guys currently perform or have played and recorded with Sinatra, Woody Herman, Ray Charles, Gloria Estefan, even the Bee Gees.

Second, Hoose himself is a talent. Yet it doesn't go to his head. On this disc, he sounds just like the Chairman of the Board, but he has the ego of a stenographer. Most "Sinatra-Style" vocalists downplay their backing bands and cover just the standards, feeding off the applause of audiences who don't want their expectations challenged.

But Hoose is more of a Sinatra interpreter, never a Sinatra imitator - he doesn't wear trench coats on stage, and he doesn't ape Frank note for note. And on "Something Old, Something New", Hoose allows the band to shine and selects a diverse set list - from "I Only Have Eyes for You" to a perfect version of the under-appreciated novelty, "The Coffee Song." There's a lot of Cole Porter and even a couple of Hoose originals. While the traditional arrangements are to be expected, Hoose's friend Mike Lewis adds some verve to a half-dozen other numbers.

It's too bad that Hoose couldn't add a DVD companion disc to this album, or throw in a pair of tickets to one of his theater concerts, because no matter how well he and his band performed in the studio - and they're so tight they needed nary a second take - it still falls short of seeing them live. It's close, though, because Hoose also made the decision to record this album live. He simply stood in front of his band and sang his guts out. No overdubs. No studio tricks. Just music.

Michael Koretzky

Assistant Editor / Jazziz Magazine