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• Planet D Nonet Live at the Scarab Club: Tribute to Buddy Johnson

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  The odds these days of a large group of musicians recording 16 songs live in a club by 1940s pianist, singer, songwriter and big band leader Buddy Johnson, who played blues and ballads for dancing at the Savoy Ballroom and throughout the south, seems an unlikely prospect. Yet, you have here in your hand, the proof it did happen! One swinging afternoon in 2018 at Detroit’s Scarab Club, this show, led by drummer RJ Spangler, consisting of a group of ten of Detroit’s finest musicians plus two additional vocalists, manage to capture the spirit of this, one of a kind, important orchestra which has been nearly forgotten in the annals of American musical history.
  Luckily you can hear in this recording, just how special the songs and arrangements are, presented here in a live club performance by folks who love the music. It’s rare to hear a which was originally recorded in the period between the early 1940s through the mid 1950s. Buddy Johnson was right in the center of the evolution of rock and roll from the beginning of rhythm and blues to the advent of this new form of black influenced music for young adults. Alan Freed helped popularize the new sound encouraging both black and white audiences to enjoy the shows and recordings.
  On this live recording, Planet D Nonet play many of my favorite Buddy Johnson tunes. Right from the start of “South Main” the band treats the audience with that powerful Johnson sound. Doctor Jive Jives is another rolling powerhouse that moves the crowded club audience.
  “Walk Em,” an early hit is here and “Walk the Chalk Line” another tune featuring the early signature Johnson “walking rhythm.” One of my favorites here is the great “Root Man Blues” sung powerfully by Leonard King abetted by a wailing alto solo by Justin Joswiak. The band chugs, swings and walks through the B.J. rhythm of flag wavers, blues ballads and rhythm tunes with great enthusiasm and feeling. Ballads like the hits “Since I Fell For You” and “I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone” satisfy, and the great choice and breadth of tunes encapsulates the Buddy Johnson sound through it’s entire existence with classics like “Crazy Bout a Saxophone,” I’m Just Your Fool, It’s Obdacious and many more. Besides guest vocalist Camille Price, who handles Ella Johnson’s tunes in her own style, the band members do a spirited job of handling the rest of the vocals in the spirit they were written in. The horn section gives the proper punch to the arrangements and the soloists all shine on their instruments when featured.
  So put on this CD, sit back and hear the music of one of Rhythm and Blues greatest composers unfold into what became Rock and Roll a decade later. It’s a fun and enjoyable trip! Duke Robillard April 11th 2022
  
  Includes unlimited streaming of Planet D Nonet Live at the Scarab Club: Tribute to Buddy Johnson (Disc sold out, digital only now) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. ... more
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