Wednesday, February 11, 1998
Lounging band makes fans ‘Jump With Joey’
MUSIC: Sultry mix of tunes promise good time, mellow escape for
listeners
By Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Staff
Sip a Martini or down a Manhattan. Make eyes with the foxy one
across the dance floor. Then Jump With Joey and show off your
skills.
Last Saturday night, Luna Park offered up the jazz/ska
lounge-style sensation Jump With Joey as their solution to the
rainy-day blues. The relaxed outfit performed several sets on an
evening in which many were wont to leave their homes. But the
six-member group made the wet traveling conditions well worth the
inconvenience.
Salsa music rising from the speakers set off the mood prior to
the show. Chic couples clutched their chests as they sacheted
around the red-lit floor. Above the tiny, silver-edged tables, five
mini-screens caught the projected images of avant-garde live action
animation shorts.
Amidst this helter-skelter environment of latin culture, L.A.’s
hippest trendsetters, Jump With Joey waited to take the stage.
Meanwhile, the bartender served up drinks with a red,
glowing-bottle selection as his backdrop, as a culmination of
spiky, primary colored lights spun on the dance floor. More of the
classy clientele passed through the thin red tinsel streamers that
acted as a gateway to the stage section of the restaurant/club, and
Jump With Joey emerged from behind the black curtains.
Continuing with the South American flavor, the group stirred up
a rattling tune, but left out the previous music’s thumping disco
bass beat. Joey, the band’s frontman, whipped out his magnificent,
huge, stand-up bass to add a mellow spin to the sultry melody.
Meanwhile, a bald drummer sat center stage in a bright-red bowling
shirt, enticing the prancing audience to "check it out, check it
out" as he tapped away at the cymbal.
The whole production swam seemlessly beneath the rolling notes
of the sharply suited slide trombonist. Even when switching over to
shake the tambourine, the man could do no wrong, the drummer
recognizing him with an "Oh yeah, Benito, come on." His taut cheeks
and skillful playing provided the external energy which the ivory-
tickling keyboardist lacked.
Still, from one song to the next, Joey took attention away from
all else inhabiting the stage. With a crushed red velvet cap, black
jeans and black turtleneck, he embodied the very word "beatnik."
His bushy brows shaded his mysteriously dark eyes, while his thick
sideburns led down his face into his chin’s five o’clock
shadow.
Soon, the band broke out into one of their swingier numbers, the
theme song, "Jump With Joey." Joey fed the mike with verses like
"If your baby left town and you’re all alone, you wanna …" as the
drummer joined on the answer, "Jump With Joey." Trumpet solos and a
lusty jam wailed between the sparsely vocal song.
A mambo piece followed close after, as lavender lights produced
a crisp, warm feel for the churning, dancing crowd to work with. At
each mention of the words "Mambo Coco" the sweater and slacks
participants howled and applauded. Their mixture of shimmery
blouses and relaxed apparel seemed a cross between "I want to dance
dirty" and "I’d rather sip my wine and enjoy the music."
At times, the band seemed intent on a mellow, blue mood, though
a saucy red personifies the underbelly of the pristine, slick club.
Yet, the mingling auras worked well together, allowing the group’s
many simple rhythmed, slow ’50s prom-style pieces to entice beneath
the silver reflecting ball. Other times, the shadows set on the
dancers in this atmosphere seemed to suggest more of a bachelor
pad, gin fizz arena.
Regardless, the big horns managed to slink sensuously around a
stunning cowbell grind, as the piano keys twinkled against the
snapping cymbals and flapping tambourine. The crowd applauded, both
happy and entertained. Not in a thrilled way, but in that
comfortable, "I’m having a good time" kind of a way.
As the group closed their set, promising more to come after a
brief break, smiles made their way onto every face. Though the band
surely offered no amount of passion previously unheard, they made
the audience wonder why it sometimes seems so difficult to have a
good time.
But now know they can always just "Jump With Joey" on a Saturday
night, and all will be okay.
MICHAEL ROSS WACHT
Jump With Joey always brings fans to their feet.