Local Exposure: Brown Derby Junction • Big Dave and the UltraSonics

Local Exposure
CD Reviews of Area Musicians

by Beth Ann Matkovich

Brown Derby Junction
Leaving Home
While Seattle, New York, and San Francisco are the most likely places to find up-and-coming musicians, central Pennsylvania has turned out its share of successes, including the nine-member, future-uncertain Brown Derby Junction from Annville, PA. Formed just one short year ago, BDJ has amassed a fine collection of unique, original swing/jazz tunes on their debut release Leaving Home that demonstrates their young talent. From the jump up sounds of “Mr. Town” and self-titled “Brown Derby Junction” to the eclectic “Sancho,” the band shows it has a keen ear for classic swing sound and the brawn to play it. Renowned in the area as a swing band with a quick beat, BDJ also shows their soft and seductive side with “Beyond the Sea” and “New Orleans Rag.” Imagery of a barbershop quartet emerges in the last song, “Glimpse of You,” while “Since the Day” begs a stage play with a well-choreographed dance. Musical execution stands above lyrical performance in all aspects of Leaving Home. Strong horns are evident throughout the album, giving an added boost to this lost-but-not-forgotten musical style. A nine-piece band may seem like overkill, but the cluster is lost behind the full big-band sound including trumpet, soprano, alto and tenor sax, with a clarinet and banjo rounding out the classic mix. For BDJ, Leaving Home is an impressive first effort.

Big Dave and the UltraSonics
Big Dave and the UltraSonics
Burnside Records
After two years and a label change, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Big Dave and the UltraSonics have returned to the scene with their latest creative blues effort. On their self-titled third album, Big Dave and the band have again captured the essence of early-American-style blues and combined it with rock and funk that brings new meaning to the style. Self-proclaimed as a “unique mixture of ’40s jump blues, New Orleans rumba, B-3 shuffle, and low-down Texas blues,” Big Dave expands the boundary of blues on this debut release from Burnside Records. From the album’s opening track, “She’s the King,” an upbeat, innovate blues offshoot, to the Latino-induced “Escuchame,” the band masters the possibilities of musical style. Truly, every ingredient that could possibly be mixed with blues to create a great song has been in the making of this album. Although the sound isn’t much different, fans looking forward to a studio performance from Big Dave’s previous live album release (No Sweat, Schoolkids Records) will be pleased. The band’s musical diversity and talent are presented in grand style here (as heard in “Escuchame,” “A Month of Sundays,” and “Black Coffee),” making listening from beginning to end more a venture of intrigue than leisure. It’s fun, it’s funky, and it’s blues.