Vavavoom
Vavavoom
Group from United States
Genres: jazz
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New Orleans Jazz Vipers
About Vavavoom
VAVAVOOM? Think speed, energy, a hot chick, maybe a burlesque queen in a smoky bar on her night off. But what style of music? The short answer is a synthesis of New Orleans jazz and the French Gypsy tradition of Django Reinhardt, as well as what Jelly Roll Morton called, "the Spanish tinge." But that's only part of the story. The fact that guitarists Raphaël Bas and Pierre Pichon have been playing together since high school in Bourges, France speaks of their authenticity, and from their renditions of the classic tunes Swing 42 and Nuages, it is clear that they know their Django. But since emigrating to the United States independently of each other over a decade ago, they have played many styles, including blues, funk, reggae, and other types of jazz. Bas once backed former Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist Sam Andrew, and Pichon toured with the popular Austin swing band, The Asylum Street Spankers. These influences are there in the music, too—particularly in the intricately interwoven guitar parts they play, whether backing each other or other band members, rather than following the more traditional approach of just playing block chords behind the soloist. The repertoire on Vavavoom's first record, "Melomania," is indicative of what one might hear at a live Vavavoom performance. Bossa Dorado and For Sephora are lively tunes that show that Latin music has become an influence on European, as well as North American jazz. On Blue Drag, Bas demonstrates his unusual technical of playing a rack-mounted harmonica in harmony with his guitar lines, and the song features vocals and some fine piano work by Ramsey. The Louis Armstrong classic Some Of These Days features a bouncy trad-jazz New Orleans groove, featuring special guest Jack Fine's cornet, with a bass solo by Spike Perkins. The well-loved La Vie En Rose, sung by former band member Neti Vaan, reveals a sensitive lyricism in both her voice and her violin. The Bossa Nova standard Black Orpheus is sung by Ramsey in French, with his own translation. Dark Eyes is a high-energy rave up, with lead vocals by Pichon and group vocals by the band. Caravan, one of the group's show stoppers in performance, features Arabic-style scatting by Bas and some smoky cornet work by Fine. The two original tunes on the recording are a study in contrasts. You Want More, by Bas, is a spooky minor blues about a haunted lake. Atomic Stomp, an instrumental by Ramsey, is squarely in the European tradition, except for a vamp between choruses that sounds as if it could be by Billy Preston if he played the accordion. The classic Brazil grooves with a light-hearted energy, and the group vocal often inspires sing-alongs, not to mention a packed dance floor. The two classic Django tunes, Swing 42 and Nuages, round out this dynamic record.
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