Bath Tub Boogie works perfectly as an opener for this album. It's a bouncy little jazz ditty to quickly establish this isn't an album which takes itself too seriously.
About a Quarter to Nine is a solid chart in the Frank Sinatra style, however it lacks the hooks of the world-famous classics. My Blue Heaven also doesn't quite grab me, sounding a bit too dixieland for my liking.
It all comes together very nicely for I've Got You Under My Skin, though. The execution is wonderfully understated, and the extended introduction features some great instrumental work.
The recording quality is is also (mostly) a good effort. The only blemish is that the alto sax sounds a bit thin. Otherwise, the recording is nicely crisp, with my personal highlight being the wonderful depth and character of the double bass sound.
A rare low point of the album is Hey Good Lookin', which is musically quite stop-start and lyrically dreadfully sexist.
And what about the more energetic songs which are driven by the piano? They're all brilliant! Goin' to Chicago has a superb rhythm n blues groove, and the vocals are also a highlight for me. Jump Jive an' Wail cranks the energy a notch higher, and seems to be bursting at the leash, thanks to the brilliant boogie-woogie piano. I really dig how the verses feel like barely-contained chaos, which perfectly contrast the "settled" chorus.
Oh Marie is another which uses this classic formula. Its great fun at the start, although wears thin eventually, due to its heavy reliance on the groove. My favourite songs on the album is Chantilly Lace. This is boogie-woogie perfection, and never fails to get me bouncing.
Yet again, I seem to have pigeonholed a band with a diverse range of styles! The rest of the jazz styles on this album are quite good, but the boogie-woogie is in another league.
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