Halloween jazz is hard to find. That’s probably because the explosion of popular Christmas material coincided with jazz ubiquity in the first half of the 20th century but it was the rock era before all that many “Halloween Songs” had crept in.
Hannah Gill is making up for lost time, she is releasing a Volume 2 of Spooky Jazz on October 4th and has a 2022 live album to compliment 2020’s Vol. 1. Enough spooky stuff to fill your party.
I am in the unusual situation of having not heard the upcoming release, but based on watching her mature as an artist these last several years, and the NYC all star lineup she brings to the new one, I predict it will have bones rattling for years to come. She has grown into one of our most captivating young vocalists. Strong, crisply enunciated, forceful, but still bluesy.
Looking back Hannah Gill was the last profile I wrote for this paper, the article ran in April 2020, right as everything shut down. It was a spunky tale of her moving to NYC fresh out of high school and working her way into becoming a first call singer for jazz and swing bands. She sang for Glenn Crytzer, Ricky Alexander, and many more since. Today you can most easily catch her live with the Hot Toddies, who are a bit of an all star group with a regular New York City shows full of dancers. I was surprised that she only released her first record earlier this year, Everybody Loves a Lover on Turtle Bay. First album, that is, if you don’t count these Spooky Jazz releases and a few other singles and EPs you will find on her Bandcamp page.
The first Spooky Jazz came out in 2020. Six titles dropped to Bandcamp on October 28th without fanfare. But these aren’t the proceeds of a sudden itch for an apartment jam—the tracks are studio recorded, thoughtfully arranged, and professionally mixed. The band is mostly different from the new release, with names less familiar to me, at least besides Ricky Alexander on clarinet and sax. The other four are Jesse Elder on piano, Steve Whipple on bass, Dave Tedeschi on drums, and Gabe Terracciano. The group plays great together, though the focus is on centering attention on Hannah’s lyrical vocals not individual flourish.
Eartha Kitt’s “I Want to be Evil” is easily the highlight of the first Spooky Jazz. It features the full period introduction. Not corny, or dated, just as perfectly fun and tongue in cheek as it was in 1953. If I could place a year on the feel of this album that would be the one. A lyrically driven groove influenced by jump blues, with broad appeal and entertaining the listener as the core mission.
The album kicks off with “No Moon At All” a favorite if a bit of a stretch for Halloween. “The House is Haunted” gives the band, especially Jesse Elder on piano and Gabe Terracciano on violin, to channel the black and white cartoon spooky sound. “Evil Gal Blues” has a big wide open blues sound to pick the pace back up. Next is Glenn Miller’s “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There” with the violin lifting butts from seats to get everyone dancing. That excellent “I Want To Be Evil” follows, before the album rolls out on “Close Your Eyes” more romantic than spooky, but excellent, and I now recognize it as classic Hannah Gill after hearing her Turtle Bay album earlier this year. She has a sound.
I am not sure when she began an annual Halloween performance, but on Halloween Day in 2022 she released a recording of the 2021 event because she was unable to hold one in 2022. Just in time to stream it at your party, but too late for me to get a review in.
The set, titled Hannah’s Haunted Halloween (Live From Revision NYC), features mostly the same band but with Ben Zweig on drums and Philip Ambuel on bass, also unfamiliar to me but in fine form that night. Only two of seven tracks duplicate the Spooky Jazz album; “Evil Gal Blues,” and “The Little Man Who Wasn’t There.” New are “Hard Hearted Hannah,” “Old Black Magic,” “Love Is A Necessary Evil,” “Haunted House Blues,” and “Oogie Boogie Man.” Again the violin stands out, we need more of it in traditional jazz, and I intend to look into Gabe Terracciano. Elder also gets his licks in.
Being a live album the recording quality is less dynamic but the band has more fun. “Old Black Magic” features that big sax energy from Ricky Alexander. Having just returned from New York City yesterday, the album transports, me to the back of a bar on the Lower East Side in late October, joyful and brimming with youthful optimism, Halloween has always been playfully romantic, and that is Hannah’s groove. “Love Is A Necessary Evil” captures that romance in its web. “Oogie Boogie Man” is a modern classic, from The Nightmare Before Christmas, the song and rhythm are tailor made for swing dancers at Halloween.
For her new release, Spooky Jazz Vol.2, Hannah Gill brings star power, a full length high quality production, and the vinyl and CD treatment. As well as an October 4th release date that gives people a chance to enjoy the music all month. Gabe Terracciano, Ricky Alexander, Phil Ambuel, and Ben Zweig return, they are joined by Mike Davis on Trumpet, Justin Poindexter on guitar, and Gordon Webster on piano. Webster is about as famous as one can be in the swing dance scene. Justin Poindexter I have recently noticed popping up everywhere, with credits on new songs as well as album appearances.
Of the eleven tracks five return from the live album, “Oogie Boogie’s Song,” Hard Hearted Hannah,” “That Old Black Magic,” “Love Is a Necessary Evil” and “Haunted House Blues.” New are “I’d Rather Be Burned as a Witch,” “My Man’s an Undertaker,” “Love Is a Necessary Evil,” “Hummin’ to Myself,” “Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere (Transylvanian Lullaby)” and “You Hurt Me.” As I said I haven’t heard them yet but Hannah puts her heart into holidays, she has also released singles and EPs for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and she goes all out for Halloween.
Being made up of classic jazz titles all of these albums are playable year round, but are also the perfect choice for October parties when you want something jazzier than “The Monster Mash.” Spooky Jazz, Vol. 1 is only $5 on Bandcamp, and worth it for “I Want To Be Evil,” alone. The live set is $7. The new full length Spooky Jazz, Vol. 2 is only $10 with vinyl and CD options available. I’d go for vinyl if you really want to set the mood.
