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Syncopated & Joe Bebco
Sync with “Live at the Nugget”
We were so busy on the NRB Legacy Project,
we missed a great compliment.
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“Longtime fans will love this album and anyone else who stumbles upon it will be converted.” – Joe Bebco, Syncopated Times
The full Syncopated Times review by Joe Bebco
“Live at the Nugget” — the infamous New Reformation Jazz Band “Lithuanian set” from ’86.
Bandleader Dave Oppermann* decided at the last minute to riff on the importation of foreign talent to fill out festival rosters by adopting an Eastern European alter ego. The thing about opening a show with such a device is that the audience isn’t going to let you drop it. Oppermann had to continue his banter through the whole set and bring the rest of the band along for the ride.
The result was fortuitously captured by a super fan, Uncle Bob, who had set up a microphone on his table before dozing off. Aside from an unusual amount of audience laughter you would never guess the recording was made so primitively. The sense that you are in the audience, and in on the gag, is what really brings joy to this CD. I especially enjoyed “St. James Infirmary” and “Down in Jungletown.”
The music itself is lively and played as straight as they can muster. Maybe with an even bigger smile than their usual set. Longtime fans will love this album and anyone else who stumbles upon it will be converted. For any super fans out there the liner notes describe a total of 16 NRB CD’s some live, some studio, spanning from 1973 to the present and all available at www.newref.com
* NRN note: Mr. Bebco’s original review identifies Dave Tatrow as the bandleader of the NRB during this infamous Live at the Nugget Casino and Resort performance. Dave IS a bandleader, but not of this group. His fortes are playing the trumpet and leading the frontline. As you will enjoy on this and numerous other NRB albums, Tatrow does these things superbly. Dave Oppermann is the leader of the NRB, and plays the piano. It is his banter you will enjoy on this album. This delegation of duties is good for everyone, since we once asked Oppermann to play the trumpet. Once.