BAM! John Niems blasts a hole in one on the very first beat of his newest release COMING OUT SWINGING! Grabbing you instantly from the very first song, he sits you down, looks you eye to eye and sings it to you straight, just like it would be IF LENNON WERE HERE. Oh, where has this song been since that cold dark December day in 1980 when a bullet robbed the world of genius once again? I'll tell you where - it's been dancing in the mind of the brilliant, and, one of the most under-recognized artists ever, John Niems, poet and prophet. With his new release, he has earned the right to say, to fan and music industry alike, "I told you so!" Here we have an artist who defies categorization by using Latin, Pop, Rock and Jazz to tell the TRUTH more than any artist I could ever "IMAGINE" would. His 13 tracks just can't be shoved into any music slot but rather, take you on a journey of TRUTH with incredible musicians aboard: Jesse McGuire - Trumpet great - Tony Q -Sax great - with superb production skills from Luis Ocadiz and the fabulous drums of John Torres, to name but a few. From his Lennon tribute, he goes right to a history lesson with INNOCENT PEOPLE!. Here he wants all to know that manipulating all generations into WAR is the RULE, NOT the exception for all presidents and other countries alike along with the bankers ("the Blue Bloods are pulling all the strings"). With this important lesson for all, he uses the seduction of Latin rhythms and is saying let's dance to this TRUTH, but, let's not forget JFK and 9/11 are indeed "INSIDE JOBS so let's re-INVESTIGATE shall we?" In BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE, he does not want the listener to take his word for it but reminds us that we have the resources ourselves. "Deceiving is what they do" he sings but don't be deceived by the temptation to classify this cut as a ballad-like pop tune because it pulls you right into the depth of John's vocal abilities. The song cleverly moves from minor (verses and bridge) to major (chorus) keys and does so effortlessly which again, is the sign of a master composer. The words in this song cut right to the chase when he notes "our number one export to other countries, our weapons pass the test" and "to the corporatists we are their damaged goods". He then offers a solution in the lines "We all need to listen to ourselves and we all need to have our hearts felt!" Speak the TRUTH in masses and he is saying let's do it now! HAVE IT YOUR WAY is a great jazz tune that tells George W. Bush simply to get over it: "YOU ARE THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER and no, history will not make it better!" And, by the way, George, your family has been doing crimes for decades and please can you stop it for all our sake? The musical arrangement here is so incredible! COMING OUT SWINGING is pure delight in that it takes us to the PARTY of our LIVES when "BUSH and CHENEY are gone!" And this song surely gives us a nice glimpse into how BIG that party will be! Niems' indomitable spirit and contagious lyrical wit makes it quite clear he's having one, good ole time here as he plays conductor, instigator and facilitator in coaxing out the best this band has to offer in what sounds to be effortless jammin'. He is one eclectic musician, folks; not only comfortable, but, adept within any genre he creates. Niems follows this tune with another sensational jazz swing CONFRONTATION; then, a fabulously beautiful, and sexy Latin SEVEN'S SECRETS that's perfect for slow dancing. Next, WATCH YOUR BACK takes you into "thinking land" again but with the pure beauty of a ballad. (SEVEN'S SECRETS has GRAMMY AWARD winning potential - simply divine). THERE AIN'T NO RELIEF FROM THIS COMMANDER IN CHIEF goes to the country genre and makes you remember how long these 8 years have been with George W. Bush. Times change. Circumstances change. People do too. Truth NEVER DOES. The truth of the matter is that John Niems' music demands respect, and, in fact, CRIES OUT FOR IT with every tune here and on all EIGHT of his GREAT CD'S that I have and listen to over and over. I just found his music last year and I must say that I never thought there would be such a well kept secret of an artist, who the music industry professionals have totally ignored, can write with the best of them. Whether it be in the proliferation of music or the authenticity of the "song", I do know one thing, IF LENNON WERE HERE, he would shake Niems' hand, look him in the eye and say "Hello mate. Pull up a chair. Let's jam!" IMAGINE...

John Neims covers it well. \"If Lennon were here\" as well as \"Watch Your Back\" Truthseekers unite as Malloy says and take our country back.

As a passionate fellow truth seeker, this album speaks, or shall I say, "sings" to me. The music can be mellow as in "If Lennon Were Here" or rousing as in "Innocent People" which is my personal favorite. IP makes me not only want to dance but to get the revolution started ! John's voice is as smooth as silk but his lyrics are hard core. If you're a 9/11 truther or just sick of politics as usual, get a copy of "Comin' Out Swingin" and join the Niems crusade for truth.

My attorney Bernie “suggested” I keep this review objective, so with that in mind, here we go: Multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Niems has created a very intriguing collection of modern protest songs for our day titled COMING OUT SWINGING. While appearing to be a golf analogy, this CD really is a bare-knuckled lambasting of the current Bush administration. He covers it all… Iraq, the economy, Katrina, corporations… with titles like “If Lennon Were Here,” ”Watch Your Back” and “There Ain’t No Relief from this Commander in Chief.” If you read the Huffington Post, dig The Daily Show, and listen to Air America, you’re going to love this album! If your tastes lean right toward Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Fox News, not so much. Put another way, if I were to send Al Franken and Dick Cheney each a copy of this disc, Al would probably rip it to his iPod, while Dick would tack it to a fence post and shoot at it. Mr. Niems’ lyrics are clever and biting, but six of this CD’s 13 tracks are instrumental, and that’s where the Smooth Jazz comes in. “Seven’s Secrets” is lush and mellow, featuring tasty sax work from Tony Q, “Innocent People” shows a distinct Latin flavor featuring the fantastic trumpet work of Jesse McGuire (Wynton Marsalis, Tower of Power), and “Have It Your Way” has a funk vibe to it. The artist is compelling in his words and melodies; COMING OUT SWINGING is a must-hear no matter where your politics fall. ~SCOTT O'BRIEN