These cats are NUTTY: Sonny Moon (Joel Hile) - Voice
Guy Wonder
(Mike Werner) - Bass
Dan Spector - Piano
Edmund Velasco - Tenor/Alto Sax, Flute Phil Moore -
Bari
Sax/Flute
Tim Gill
- Trumpet
Darryl Grama
- Drums
Chris Williams
- Percussion
Welcome to the world of Nutty, where eight jetsetter jazzniks stroll
among the pop/rock archives, serving up a martini mix of straight-ahead, big
band swing, Latin, crime jazz/spy jazz, film/TV themes and bop to create the
ultimate in classic jazz re-interpretations of modern standards.
It's the ultimate jazz cocktail.
On stage, it's a Rat Pack, bachelor pad vibe, right down to the black
suits, skinny ties and old school, irreverent wit.
And when the fiddlers have fled, the music stays in your
head.
Come for the funny, stay for the music.
Combining the talents of
L.A. and
Orange County jazz top
cats, some of whom you've seen in their own projects here at Steamers, Nutty
brings you a tight, hard-swingin' collective with a contagious sense of humor.
"Hats off to (Nutty) for swinging out on songs that probably didn't know
they could bend that way (like a fat guy in his first yoga class)!
Without question, I'll also give appreciative credit to
whoever conceives these new arrangements.
A purist might want to hide under the bed, but anyone
who appreciates the fusion of ideas, style and lounge culture completely out of
control must buy this album."
Frankie Hagan (Dance Frankie), Retro Radar
For the jazz enthusiast--or even the jazz purist--the arrangements are
sharp and valid, as they pay homage to jazz greats like Brubeck, Dizzy,
Coltrane, Miles, Duke, Cannonball and Monk, to mention just a few.
For those whose knowlege of jazz doesn't go beyond "Take
Five" and "So What", Nutty is an entertaining education into the classics.
To those who don't know how to
spell jazz,
this is a whole 'nother version of cool.
After all, they've never heard Steppenwolf, The Who,
Thin Lizzy, The Beatles, Black Sabbath or AC/DC sound quite like this.
And, on top of that, the band throws in an occasional
movie or TV theme or even a cartoon soundtrack just to see if you're payin'
attention.
It's not odd for a fan who's heard Nutty play their favorite pop/rock
tune to research the jazz references that accompany it.
Next thing you know, you've got a new jazz fan.
Let it be said that Nutty doesn't make fun of jazz,
rather they make jazz FUN.
And it's a gas!
"Their shtick is jazzed-out, hard-swinging covers of classic rock tunes,
laid out by some nice players and a stylishly loungey front man.
It's pure Vegas--really good Vegas--and a good time.
If you're trying to edge your rock'n'roll-hearted
friends into jazz, it's not a bad starting point."
Brick Wahl,
LA Weekly
Nutty has a rather oddball history. Briefly known as Chase Lounge And
The Lazy Boys, the band was a loose jump blues group, with guitar, bass, drums
and vocal. There were no horns, and there were no signs of jazz...yet.
Vocalist Sonny Moon (Joel Hile) was lured in under the condition that
all he had to do was walk up to the mic and sing. But soon he took control, and
began to veer the band's sound toward lounged-out classic rock songs. When
bassist Guy Wonder
(a.k.a. Mike Werner) joined the quartet, Sonny found a like-minded
co-conspirator, and the band became nutty, and soon thereafter became Nutty.
Some songs were recorded, some horn players were brought in, and
ideas flourished. Notable
L.A. jazz scene standouts like
Carl Saunders, Elliott Caine and DJ Bonebrake took an interest (as well as a
little dough) and added their talents to the first CD. The cast expanded and
diminished as personnel changes were made, and Nutty searched for the perfect
crew.
The Nutty lineup continued to evolve as the quality of the charts and
the gigs improved. Guitar was replaced by vibes. There was a trombone for a
month or two. The vibes were replaced by a baritone sax in order to round out a
three-horned brass punch. Then came percussion to add to the Latin sounds and
the beatnik vibe.
Soon Sonny and Guy were not only combining various forms of jazz with
rock songs they felt nobody else would dare jazz-ify, but they were actually
incorporating specific jazz songs into the rock arrangements. Although the US
Office of Copyrights might not agree, Nutty's re-interpretations of these songs
take them so far beyond where they began, that they could actually be considered
quasi-original compositions.
Call it Jetsetter Jazz. Ring-a-ding-ding!
"I've seen these guys bring back the crowd when the club saw the adverse
affects of the economy.
Their sound is dynamically big and brilliant, and their
vibe screams swank and Rat Pack frivolity.
Not only do people buy more drinks, but they buy the
good stuff.
Anything can and does happen at a Nutty show, and the
music stays forever ingrained in your brain.
These cats dazzle, and I think they're swell!"
Steve Camera,
creative director-Hip Kitty Jazz
