BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY
SAVE MY SOUL
VANGUARD

LINKS:
bbvd.com

vanguardrecords.com


In the midst of the swing-dance revival of the mid and late 1990s, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy led the pack. Sporting technicolor zoot suits topped with velvety-smooth fedoras, and playing tunes slick and sassy, as if they oozed straight out of Ole Miss. They seemed to be the real McCoy; the ones who would jitterbug all the way to the top of the charts, taking the rest of the genre with them.
And they did, until neo-swing tripped on its own momentum in 2000 and never got up again. Since then, many bands have swung out of the scene, but Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has stood its ground. The band’s latest offering, Save My Soul, proves that although not as many kids may be two-stepping to their beats, their strut is still as big and bad as ever.
The album departs from their previous, more pop-oriented material, favoring a New Orleans hybridization of jazz, blues and swing. Its vibe is earthy, relying heavily on foot-stomping, chanting and syncopated beats, surrounded by vibrant melodies and smooth textures. This sound comes out strong from the get-go. The opening track is a mélange of snappy snares, swaggering horns and slick pianos, which ends with the down-home-by-the-bayou chant, “Zig Zaggaty Woop Woop.”
“Don’t You (Feel my Leg)” is the gem of the first half of Save My Soul. Frontman Scotty Morris shines on this cover, assuming the role of a lady being come on to in a singles bar. His vocal contribution is a cleverly-constructed monologue that’s half spoken word and half croon, which flirts between silky, smoothness and complete ham-bone humor. The accompanying horns with all their pomp, peppered with piano razzmatazz and booming drums, complete the mood reminiscent of a grand old era.
The second half of Save My Soul is even better, but the title track isn’t the best it has to offer. It’s a classic swing tune with a bluesy feel and a slow, rolling tempo, but lacks the flare of the other songs such as, “I Like It”, on which the band sneaks away from New Orleans for a bit and takes a trip south of the border.
An extended version of “Zig Zaggity Woop Woop (Part II)” closes the album with a bang. Part II is more celestial than part I, with the horns soaring and swirling above and around snap-crackle-and-pop drumming and spirited chants and whistles.
It’s hard to say whether Save My Soul will be able to save the careers of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s members. There doesn’t seem to be another swing revival within the mainstream brewing anywhere. But it’s nice to see that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are still around.

----Eric V. White