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Hailing from Bristol (in the UK) The Zen Hussies second long player ("Continental Adaptor") is a free-for-all, no-holds-barred, get-your-lazy-ass-up-outta-that-seat-and-dance mixture of vintage jazz, swing and not-so-big band.
Some of the things that make this recording work are obvious: they're great musicians and snappy dressers (both requirements for their chosen style(s)). But lots of bands can claim those two merits.
There are a couple of things that make The Zen Hussies stand out:
They're daring. To keep "Continental Adaptor" from sounding like (yet) another tribute to a bygone era the band is wise enough to mix a goodly number of sounds into this album's eight tunes. You can easily pick out the swing/jazz/elements but you'll run across circus waltzes ("The Whiplash Waltz"), croonerific Sinatra-esque balladry ("Honey Bee Suite") and damned if that doesn't sound like SKA ("My Kinda Lady"). There's a lot to hang your head on here and repeated listens are paid off handsomely. This isn't a retro group where when you've heard one song you've hear 'em all. (Think more Squirrel Nut Zippers, less Cherry Poppin Daddies).
But the real key for this set is that The Zen Hussies have managed to capture the energy of a live performance. This is hard to do on a recording but is *essential* for a group that's focused on getting people to shake their money makers. I'm not saying that the group isn't even more visceral live, I'm just saying that you can hear what makes their live sets a hoot on these recordings. And without that there's no point putting songs to wax (and yes, this recording is available on LP!).
To sum up:
"Continental Adaptor" is a blast and should be the soundtrack to your next dance party.
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Zen Hussies:
http://zenhussies.com/new/
http://www.myspace.com/thezenhussies
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