Augie Haas+8: Live At the Speakeasy

Here’s an album that sounds like it was recorded back in the 1940s by Symphony Sid. Trumpet and vocalist Augie Haas has a hard swinging attitude, and he hits hard on this recorded gig with a team of Todd Groves/as, Troy Roberts/ts, Alden Banta/bs, Andrew Heesley/tp, Hailey Brinnel/tb-voc, Rick Germanson/p, Dick Sarpola/b and Gary Kerkezou/dr. There’s  a palpable energy throughout, with the band sweating out pieces like a grooving “Keep On  Keeping On” and doing a cleverly jazz easy read of the Joe Cocker hit “Feelin’ Alright”. Brinnel gives Jon Hendricks a run for his money with a rachet-mouthed deliver on the vocal sprint of “The Sound” while Kacie Sky swoons through an ominous “I Put A Spell On You”. Major Attawa gives a deep baritone vocal for an R&Bish “Fly Me To The Moon” and the saxes chirp for joy on “Jamo Rocks” and “Candy” . When are they hitting the streets in LA?

www.augiehaas.com

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