I always have a soft spot for male jazz vocalists, as they are much rarer than the fairer sex. There, I said it!!
Billy Brandt has a street corner watch salesman tone to his voice, and he takes you on a film noir tour of the city on this hip little session. He opens with a narration on the title track, setting the stage for a late night walk down side streets, such as the R&B soulful “Ooh Sha Dooby” and hip soulful “Gonna Be Those” with humming B3 delivered by the smoky Joe Doria. John Hansen’s piano takes you to an early morning saloon on “Frances Doesn’t Care For The Blues” while Bradley Hawkins adds strings to the travelogue of “Beau and Cello.” All that’s missing is a cameo from Gloria Grahame on this long shadowed release.