Tired of listening to the same old rock cover bands? Then step on over to Maxwell’s in Hoboken to check out the swinging jazz and blues covers of Swingadelic!
The beginning
The seven-year-old band was initially formed by necessity. It was a serendipitous moment for Dave Post, bassist and an original member, when he was playing one night at the Super Club and a guy there said he needed a 12-piece band. Post agreed to fill the spot even though he didn’t have a band that size. He began making calls and got a nine-piece band together for that next weekend. The rest is history.
The band is a big hit at weddings playing standards from legendary artists like Ellington, Basie, Sinatra, and Ray Charles. They’ve played at almost a dozen Hudson County residents’ weddings. According to Post, playing their alternate Monday night gigs at Maxwell’s has helped them book parties.
“It’s great, because if we have a client, they can come down and hear the band every other Monday,” said Post. “We wanted some place where people can relax, like at a jazz club,” said Post. “A place where people could walk by, see the band, and check out the music.”
The little big band
The band has 11 members, four of which are locals from Hoboken. The guys are all professional musicians, several of which who have received awards. The local members include: Dave Post on upright bass; Paul Pizzuti, who plays drums and also performs in the pit on Broadway; Neal Pawley who sings and plays trombone; and John Bauers on keyboards.
The other members include: Paul Carlon on tenor sax, John Martin on baritone sax, Albert Leusink and Carlos Francis on trumpets, Rob Susman on trombone, Fausto Bozza on guitar and vocals, and Buddy Terry on alto sax and vocals. Buddy Terry just won an achievement award naming him a Jazz Elder for the City of Newark. Terry started playing with the band in 1999 after John Bauers, who had played with Terry on other jobs, introduced him to Post. Terry has had a fruitful career in the music business. He played with legendary jazz greats including: Ray Charles, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.
“All my life I’ve been grateful,” said Terry. “I prayed to play. I prayed to play with Ray Charles and I thank the Lord for that. I felt privileged and honored to play in their bands.”
Mondays at Maxwell’s
Dave Post co-owns Maxwell’s with Todd Abramson. The two decided to bring in a different sound to the legendary rock club on Mondays to see what would happen. The other differences from a regular show at Maxwell’s are that Swingadelic is free, and they set up in the front of the bar to draw people in from the street.
“Monday night is traditionally a big band night,” said Neal Pawley, vocalist and trombone player. “And most of the guys are off on a Monday night from their regular gigs so you get your pick of the best guys,” said Post. According to Post, the crowd on Mondays is a little older than the typical Maxwell’s crowd. “But the kids dig it when we are there,” said Pawley.
“The guys who are playing that night will listen before they go into the back,” said Post. “Sometimes people will get up and do an impromptu dance.”
The evolution
According to Post, some of the initial band members have moved on, but they’ve still managed to maintain a quality band with professional members. There is a regrouping that happens ever two years or so when some of the members have problems because of their other obligations.
“We didn’t want to be all jazz or all blues,” said Post. “It’s been a gradual expansion of family,” said Pawley. “We started at playing up blues,” said Post, “but it’s gotten a lot jazzier, changing with the marketplace.”
The band has played noteworthy gigs at The Regency, The Waldorf, and Windows of the World. This summer they played at Lincoln Center for the Mid-Summer Night Swing series. “It’s kind of enjoyable playing swing,” said Post. “It’s interactive. They are really involved. It’s nice to see people dancing.”
They are a working band that just finished recording “The Gal From Joe’s,” a Duke Ellington song, for a soon to be released film called, Play it by Ear. They have three CDs out now. Their latest, Big Band Blues, is getting played on the radio. It has more ballads on it than the other two, which had more dance tunes. Musically, there is nothing wrong with the CD. The band plays tight and all four vocalists sing a track or two. But to fully appreciate their music you have to see them live.
The show
Every other Monday Swingadelic plays one two hour-long set. On any given night, they play songs from their repertoire that has a hundred songs. A song you might be familiar with suddenly becomes an improvised 10-minute rift.
Often they have guest musicians who perform with the band. This past Monday, singer Judy Bady got up to perform “Cheap Spoons” by Duke Ellington.
Separately, the musicians all take turns on a solo, and the talent was apparent as the crowd on Monday cheered when each one performed, yet the solos are nothing compared to the seamless blend of soulful sound together. They are a true ensemble and compliment each other.
The four vocalists each have a distinctive sound. Fausto Bozza is all style. On several of the songs he sounded like a different person. “Wake and Bake,” one of the numbers performed on Monday, showcased his voice best with the swing sound complimenting his alternating sung and spoken parts.
Neal Pawley’s breathy voice conveyed intimacy on the title “Lonesome Train.” The whisper like quality of his voice echoed the longing of the song.
John Bauers melodic voice blends with the music. Perhaps being tucked in the back has given him an appreciation for the melody line that he maintains on the piano, over and under the swells of the horns. Even his vibrato could be mistaken for the hum of an instrument – that’s how smooth his voice sounds.
There’s no mistake who’s singing when Buddy Terry takes the stage. Terry has a deep voice and a command of the music. Terry’s voice rises over most of the notes and conveys emotion with each rise and fall of his tremendous range, which he demonstrated with ease.
“I enjoy it,” said Terry. “I don’t care how good you play an instrument, singing gets it. You can connect with the audience.”
What’s next?
Swingadelic’s next show at Maxwell’s is on Monday, Nov. 14 from 9 to 11 p.m. At The Taste of Hoboken on Thursday, Nov. 3, Post will perform with band members Bauers and Terry from 6 to 9:30 p.m. In addition to the live performances the band plans to work on another album together.
Swingadelic can be seen at Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St., every other Monday. For more information please call, (201) 798-0406 or visit, www.swingadelic.com.