TUXEDO JUNCTION: CHATANOOGA CHOO-CHOO

TUXEDO JUNCTION : TAKE THE "A" TRAIN (1979)

TUXEDO JUNCTION
When disco became a dominant pop music trend in the late '70s, record producers all over the world began remaking classic music from other genres in a disco style to cash in on this craze. Most of these records were simply crass commercial exercises, but some of the projects in this vein managed to create inspired hybrids of classic melodies and disco rhythms. One of the best projects in this vein was Tuxedo Junction. This group was the brainchild of prolific disco producers Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis (the men behind club favorites like El Coco and Saint Tropez), and they updated the big band music of bygone years for the disco era. Since Laurin had many friends from the big band days, he went about to try and get as many of the original players of the day to perform on the album. They got the oldest players that the AFM had and the oldest female singers that AFTRA had. The big band sound of the Tuxedo Junction album was well received upon its release. The material from the first album sets up the Tuxedo Junction concept nicely: a trio of female vocalists coo in an Andrew Sisters style over horn-laden big band arrangements that are bolstered by strong but unobtrusive disco rhythms. The end result worked surprisingly well. The material includes the club hit "Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye," which is pretty similar in approach to "Chattanooga Choo Choo," and a clever, jazzy version of "Take the A Train" that works a strong funk bassline into its big band sound. There's also a torchy, beautifully harmonized non-disco rendition of "Stardust." In the end, the group's gimmicky concept works out quite well thanks to tasteful, energetic musicianship and a well-chosen set of songs. As a result, Tuxedo Junction: Take the A Train is a great pick for disco fans who want to hear an exotic but elegant variant on the typical disco sound. ~ ( (By Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide, addapted and edited by CB)
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MY OPINION: Disco versioned swing and jazz classics penned by Dizzy Gillespie, Cole Porter and many others, with vocal arrangements that reminds the great female "vintage vocal groups". Pretty good stuff!
(CB)
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MINHA OPINIÃO
Tuxedo Junction foi uma ideia de A. J. Cervantes, Michael Lewis e Laurin Rinder, produtores que seguindo os rumos mostrados por Phil Spector, se especializaram em criar mercados para seus novos produtos: grupos de estúdio e álbuns de músicas concebidos, idealizados e destinadas a um público alvo, com destino certo. Neste caso, a "dance music", que de todos os modismos passageiros, foi o gênero de maior qualidade musical. (Eu diria que, guardadas as devidas proporções, o grupo TUXEDO JUNCTION equivale ás FRENÉTICAS, criadas por Nelsinho Motta. A diferença é que o Tuxedo Junction só existia dentro do estúdio, diferentemente das Frenéticas que eram performáticas. Mas a idéia é fundamentalmente a mesma). Os produtores Cervantes, Lewis e Rinder, perfeccionistas da mais alta estirpe, buscaram não só um repertório de primeirissima qualidade como formaram uma banda com o "creme-do-creme" dos músicos. Mantiveram os arranjos bem próximos dos temas originais e em lugar das cordas tão em voga e responsáveis pela elegância do estilo, colocaram metais jazzisticos, acrescentaram o tempero e a batida "Disco" e, prá terminar,
convocaram as competentes e experientes vocalistas de estúdio para colocar as vozes. O resultado é formidável. Alegre, dançante, bom de ouvir. [Discotheque + Vintage = Uma tacada de mestres].
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TUXEDO JUNCTION : TAKE THE "A" TRAIN (1979)

TUXEDO JUNCTION:
Sue Allen
Marti McCall
Jamie Edlin
Marilyn Jackson

TRACKS/FAIXAS:
01-Toot Toot Toosie Goodbye
02-That Old Black Magic
03-Take The 'A' Train
04-You Gotta Be A Football Hero
05-Beguin The Beguine
06-Night In Tunisia
07-Stardust

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