Cassette

THE JIVE CATS

Sophisti-Cat Productions Cassette


My Man/ Hoy Hoy/ Soft Pillow/ Rocketship To The
Moon/ Take It Back/ I Want You To Be My Baby/
Time For Goodbye's/ I Thought I Told You Not To
Tell'em/ Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby /
I Ain't Mad At You

London-based band the Jive Cats are another bunch of young hep cats (and a chick) who are hip to the cool sounds of 40's bop-flavoured jumpin'jive. l don't think these cats are even aware that 4 decades have passed by since the music they play was widely popular, so heavily are they into the sound of Louis Jordan, Cab Calloway et al. The band display a high quality of musicianship throughout. The line-up of Saxes, mellow guitar, subtle but, rock-steady drums, stand up bass and a real steam piano replicates perfectly the sounds of the black jump blues bands of the late 40's and early 50's.

Mostly covers, all done rather well, the band excel at the slower numbers, only Marie Knights "Thought I Told You" doesn't quite come off - perhaps the band were being a little over-ambitious attempting such a heavyweight rocker. "Is You Is", "Rocketship' and "My Man' are the stand outs in this collection with lead singer Flo demonstrating a real command of the idiom, even leaning towards jazz at times. I don’t think this is available through your local record shop. So if you wanna copy you'll just have to go along and catch this excellent band at one of their gigs. So there!

Tony Watson
Blues & Rhythm
Issue 72

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Lavern Baker

Club 051 16 October 1992

One Ticket of the band's greatest moments was backing The legendary Blues/R&B artist Lavern Baker. The band played two gigs, one in Liverpool at Club 051 and the other at a Rock ' N' Roll weekender in Hemsby nr Great Yarmouth.

Here's what Tony Watson Of Blues & Rhythm magazine had to say about the Liverpool date...

"This, mystifyingly, was Lavern's first ever appearance in the U.K. But she showed the smallish, but highly receptive crowd that the wait was certainly worth it!
For once some care had been taken in providing the right accompaniment, with a four piece horn section led by Pete Thomas, along with the nucleus of support act the excellent JIVE CATS, supplemented by Lavern's regular guitarist and keyboard player.

Flo with Lavern Baker The amalgam were well rehearsed and the sound was reasonably good, given the unusual layout of the club (an old cellar!)

In a two and a half hour show, the little lady with the big booming voice made up for the last 40 years in a rip roaring house rocking style; Come back Lavern - real soon!"

This is an abridged version of a review that appeared in issue 74 of Blues & Rhythm magazine, to find out more check it out!

Flo with Lavern Baker backstage at Hemsby

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