Urban Gorilla

Winnipeg larksters Urban Gorilla bring fresh influences to the swing genre with Till He Comes Back. Framing the music in Cab Calloway-style humour (they even borrow heavily from the "hi-de-hi-de-ho" master in "Willie the Weeper"), the record is a sultry mix of Latin, early jazz, uptown blues and even ska. Vocalists Lawrence Van Went and Lloyd Brandson (vocal godsons of Dr. John and Louis Armstrong, respectively) run through an entertaining array of tales in their hipster personas backed by the thick, reedy saxophones of Chuck McClelland and Frank Morreau, acoustic bass, drums, keys, guitar and even mandolin. Keeping the fun loving nature of swing always in mind, Urban Gorilla forays into flute-laced Latin jam music with "The Food is Ready," swing/ska on "Fryin' Pans" and frequently lands in stately T-Bone Walker territory throughout. Urban Gorilla wouldn't be out of place in a dimly lit lounge populated by out of work tango dancers and wannabe mobsters.