There’s this internet meme from 2019 (bear with me) which goes, “Wake up babe, new just dropped.” The catchphrase implies insomnia-inducing levels of excitement about , which is usually a new song or episode of a favorite show. I use it occasionally—a recent example was in the grocery store with my wife, to whom I declaimed, “Wake up babe, new Pringles flavor just dropped!” It amused me, anyway…
In most cases, the meme’s use is sarcastic (although roasted pepper and hummus chips did sound pretty fire to me). But I could imagine myself earnestly waking my bae in this manner to report a new Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers record, as I’ve yet to hear one that didn’t knock my socks off.
Released this November, Lakewood Jump is a fourteen-track feast of classic tunes and brand new compositions, featuring a constellation of star talent—including reedman McKenzie, vocalist Laura Windley, trumpeter Gordon Au and trombonist Lucian Cobb—alongside veteran guitarist Chip Newton and up-and-coming bassist William Ledbetter, amongst others.
Each individual performance is outstanding and, together, the effect is nothing short of unmissable. Hearing Windley is always an enormous pleasure, her vocal tones as soft, round, and warm as one of those Squishmallows toys that has been in the microwave. Her rendition of “’Deed I Do” is especially sultry, while her bopping turn on “I Wanna Riff” gives serious Martha Raye vibes (which is also a huge W, in my book).
Joining her on this disc is Dupresha Townsend, a seemingly lesser-known NC blues and gospel singer with a voice that is light and airy. Her tone is a nice contrast to Windley’s, and one well suited to the breathy, boyish-voiced Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” Townsend also takes the lead on “The Long Road Home to You” and “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To,” making for three delightfully dreamy ballads which mark an auspicious prelude to future Riffers collaborations, I hope.
Pianist Ryan Hanseler feels like one I should listen to regularly, to remind myself what the instrument can do in expert hands—what I might be capable of one day, if I can just take practice more seriously. His masterful comping is perhaps best showcased on “I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed,” where rhythmic stabs and mellifluous arpeggios seem to fill every little gap around, in between and beneath the tune’s other elements just perfectly.
A particular delight for me is the inclusion of a vibraphone, piloted by percussionist Brandon Mitchell. The vibraphone is to me a sort of space-age metal piano, designed to be played by aliens with two to four abnormally long digits. It seems like witchcraft, and Lionel Hampton is its high priest. Mitchell doesn’t disappoint, with icy-cool, laid-back performances like those on “Rhythm and Romance” and “I’m Confessin’” and bouncing, blistering solos like that on “Trashcat Shuffle.”
McKenzie is also a wonder to hear, on both sax and clarinet. And as composers go, there are few as skilled as him at replicating that classic Swing Era sound without sounding derivative. In this respect, Lakewood Jump is an absolute triumph: “Trombone Island” is a novelty bop in the vein of (but not outright copying) “The Music Goes ’Round and ’Round”; “Sidestep” is brain-tickling ramble replete with unusual intervals and odd harmonies; and “Subtle Stroll” is a lazy toe-dragger with energetic intervals, just ripe for Lindy hopping.
When all’s said and done, Lakewood Jump strikes me as yet another must-own for swing fans, from some of its most talented and creative contemporary custodians. Grab it on CD from their Bandcamp page today, for the very reasonable price of $18—or, if physical media seems like old hat to you, then download it for just two-thirds of that price.
Lakewood Jump
Keenan McKenzie & The Riffers
keenanmckenzie.bandcamp.com
