Jason Vivone & The Billy Bats
www.billybats.com
2012 self-produced
9 tracks/36:52
Jason Vivone wrote and produced this CD. Considered one of the most respected musicians in Kansas City, MO, his story-telling lyrics, slide guitar pickin' and lilting harp provide the lead for The Billy Bats, comprised of Paula Crawford (guitar, vocals), Imani Glasgow (percussion, vocals), Matt Bustamante (drums)(any relation to Sergio Bustamante, the famous Mexican sculptor and jewelry designer?) and Ben Hoppes (banjo, vocals).
This CD kept me toe-tapping and dancing through several tracks like "The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria" and "Do the Nod". Melancholy lyrics in "Photograph" tell the story of a man's love interest that never materialized beyond a photograph in his wallet. "Baby Fat" pays respectful homage to plus-size girls. The woeful and yearning harp in the last track, "Medusa Blues", will tug at your blues strings. Add several spoonfuls of country rockabilly for an album worth a listen.
Reviewed by Diane Mandell
Reviewed by Diane Mandell
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