Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers turn the holiday season into a grand party vibe with their new CD The Christmas Swing. You’ve got to hear this combo of original, traditional, and blues standards to believe how well this band has meshed credible blues idioms to Christmas themes.
Opening theme “Jingle Bells” turns the familiar into something bluesy fresh, Harpe’s swaggering guitar line puts frosting on the melody as her voice coats the song in sultry appeal. The steady rhythm section of bassist Jim Countryman and drummer Chris Anzalone keep things coolly in the pocket.
The band tackle Joe Luke’s “Merry Christmas,” turning it into a steady march of tasty blues nuggets, crispy slide guitar grease, deeply felt harmonica lines, and a rhythm section that adeptly kicks it along with steady aplomb. Harpe sings it with enough raspy enthusiasm that makes you wonder why her man isn’t already home roasting his nuts in the fire.
Harpe’s original “The Night Before Christmas” finds the rhythm boys shuffling along with style. On this one, the Swinger’s harmonica man Matt Prozialeck puts a sweet, whistling line in the midst of everything. Every note he plays is as bright as a colored light on a Christmas tree. Harpe’s considerate vocal delivery, just enough breathy sexiness at a time, keeps this one in the category of fine torch singing.
“At The Christmas Ball,” by Fred H. Longshaw, gets a light touch of acoustic guitar from Harpe and tasteful old blue piano from guest musician John Juxo. Harpe’s sultry drawl coats the piano blues bar with a dusky pleasantness, pausing thoughtfully to blow a rich humming line through her kazoo that was as much a treat for the ears as her full throated sustains.
Back into up tempo blues, the rhythm section lays down a busy shuffle groove for “Merry Christmas (Here I Come). Over that locomotive chug Harpe projects her rangy voice like a comet over the horizon, bright, burning, and full of unfettered vocal oomph. This one might just blow past the station and come to a screeching halt in front of the nearest honky tonky saloon.
Title track “The Christmas Swing” get a hipster groove from the rhythm boys who put a backbeat bounce in its step. Guest musician and former Delta Swinger Richard Rosenblatt’s harmonica line moseys along with a bright, amicable melody, finessesing his line carefully into the spaces left open in the groove. Harpe applies her rangy rasp like she’s pouring gravy over potatoes, her personal touch being a way of spreading her smoky elegance around with warm, loving care.
Leadbelly’s arrangement of the traditional “Christmas Is A-Comin’” becomes a fun playground for Harpe and the Delta Swingers. Harpe uses her vocal inflections and a slight bit of dynamics to keep these lyrics catchy and jumpy. Prozialeck injects a thin but shiny, colorful line in and around the proceedings of voice and groove, wrapping it all up in a bright bow.
The holidays are never complete without a certain amount of libation. Bo Carter’s “Drink And Get Drunk” becomes a perfect vehicle for this band to record a party song. Harpe’s acoustic picking and Prozialeck’s brief bits of sunny notes make us feel the casualness of enjoying the spirits. Harpe’s rasp here turns into a lilting vocal melody line that keeps the tune lively and full of that sense of holiday mischief.
“Run Run Rudolph” is a mid tempo cruise with flinty electric guitar bits and crisp harmonica notes. Its edge makes it feel a bit like oldies rock and roll from the 1950s. Its traditional rock keeps it grounded in something earthy, real, and familiar. The shine coming off of those harmonica and guitar notes keep the ears glued to the song. Its lively beats pepper it with more fun and it is easy to image this tune ending up on many holiday stereo speakers.
Honoring Christmas is never complete without also a call to say goodbye to the entire year. Erin Harpe’s vocal take on “Auld Lang Syne” lets her showcase what she can do with her vocal power. She makes her rasp rise up like something beautiful, memorable, and capable, a torch singer who can make anything feel like it’s loaded with meaning and momentum. Hearing her voice unadorned with accompaniment reminds the listener of everything she brings to the table, subtle, supple, dynamic, powerful. She also makes the kazoo one of the sexist instruments on this album
Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers offer their fans and all listeners, really, something they can play while wrapping gifts, exchanging gifts, or giving a gift to that special person very late on Christmas eve. If you are tired of the usual holiday music adding to much sicky sweet sugar to our car radios, work places, and shopping malls, this might be the perfect antidote. It’s an earthy, real stocking stuffer treat. Buy it.
