They jumped.
They jived.
And then they wailed.
Paul Vesco and his swinging band of Johnny Cools on Tuesday turned the Savannah Center into a torrid zone. In case you missed it, don’t worry. The Johnny Cool Swing Band returns for another Savannah show on April 30 at 5 p.m.
Tuesday’s show was a closed, thank-you concert from The Villages Recreation Department for its nearly 2,500 Lifestyle Volunteers and 1,500 Sports Programming Volunteers. Two more invitation-only shows are scheduled for Wednesday night. But the April 30 gig is open to the public.
This was an explosive, foot-stomping, swinging revival thanks to Vesco and fellow coolsters Clark Barrios, France Neil and Cathy Merkel.
I mean from the opening notes of the first song, “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” you just knew this was the kind of night that would have Louis Jordan rocking in his grave.
But that was just the start.
Before you could say Louis Prima, there was Mr. Vesco romping around the stage singing, “Just A Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody.” He even did some rap in Italian. Eat your heart out, David Lee Roth!
Vesco was so cool he looked like he belonged in what Chuck Berry might call “the coolerator.” Vesco and the similarly attired Barrios, wore black pinstriped suits and matching hats. They looked like they just returned from a dinner party with Vito Corleone. Hope they checked the men’s room for guns.
Vesco brought back memories of Bobby Darin with a stirring version of “Mack the Knife” and had some fun with another Darin hit, “Clementine.”
Barrios, meanwhile, was gunning for big time musical game on this night. He took on the standards and held his own.
Check out a clip from the show at the Villages-News.com Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheVillagesNews/
It wasn’t Ray Charles, but Barrios made “Georgia On My Mind” sound soulful and pure. Things were just as smooth on “It Had To Be You.” He had some fun with Desi Arnaz on “Cuban Pete.” Then Barrios then put on his hat and belted out “New York, New York,” in a fitting tribute to Sinatra.
Lest we forget, the women were just as cool.
Cathy Merkel was hot, pink and sexy all night long. She did her Marilyn Monroe routine in a tight, fuchsia dress as she sang, “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friends.”
Then she changed into a bright red outfit with a black garter and Betty Booped her way through, “I Want To Be Loved By You,” just like Marilyn did in the film “Some Like It Hot.”
Merkel is so much fun, it’s easy to forget she’s a talented singer. She proved just that teaming with Neil on a scintillating version of “Fever.”
Neil possesses stunning range to go with a dynamic stage presence. She was percolating throughout the show and added some New Orleans spice to another Louis Jordan standard, “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.”
Neil absolutely brought down the house with her virtuoso cover of the late B.J. Crosby’s version of “Fools Fall In Love.” Neil’s voice, emotion and power resonated throughout the Savannah Center.
The foursome closed with a raucous and rocking “Jump, Jive An’ Wail.” The remarkable seven piece band was going strong all night. It featured: Sam Zambito, Tom Dietz, and Corey Paul on horns. The rhythm section featured Steve Sienkiewicz, Vernay Reindollar, Paul Parker and Tommy Calton. Vesco helped out on saxophone and keyboards.
All the singers cherish performing this kind of swing music.
“We wanted to build a band that could play this kind of music,” said Vesco, who organized the group almost 15 years ago. “We wanted it to be authentic.”
Barrios joined the group early on.
“I love the horn section and the chemistry in this band,” he said. “When the girls came on, it all just fit together.”
It wasn’t an accident.
“These are world-class musicians and it’s great to sing with them,” Merkel said. “It’s rare in this day and age, to sing with a big band. I love it because it’s so exciting to play this music live.”
Neil agreed.
“I think it’s important to remember this music from the ‘40s and ‘50s,” she said. “That big band sound still holds up.”
Just like the Johnny Cool Swing Band.
