The Jive Bombers Hit the Deck, It's the Jive Bombers (Texas Jamboree)

The Jive Bombers

Hit the Deck, It's the Jive Bombers

(Texas Jamboree)

Local jump and jive six piece the Jive Bombers throw their collective hat into the post-WWII swing ring with 15 cuts of rolling dance fuel. Clocking in at three-quarters of an hour, about half of this debut's tracks were penned by the band, and most of those by drummer and High Nooner Shaun Young. From the high-octane opener "Whirlin'" one thing is perfectly clear: Former Jubilettes and Big Town Swingtet vocalist Dana Dattalo has got one helluva voice. While clearly capable of throat pyrotechnics, Dattalo respects the combo-song format, throwing dashes of distinguishing talent here and there, like squirting gas on fire. In spite of a tentative sax solo in "Gotta Gimme Whatcha Got," tenor and baritone saxophonist T.D. (Murph) Motycka also displays fine form throughout. Adding depth to the lineup are the buttery hot tones of guitarist Bobby Horton, ivory massager Derek Peterson and string bassist Vance Hazen. It's all dance music, from the poppin' tongue-in-cheek "Home Cooking" to the hot instrumental "The Hucklebuck" to the Fifties sock-hop slow dance of "Oh What a Dream." Sounding like the records they dig -- Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Ruth Brown, and Louis Jordan -- Hit the Deck .... may showcase the Jive Bombers as a period piece, but a damn good one nonetheless.