Bumper Jacksons
Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
If you prefer your jazz straight up with a twist, a teaspoon of blues, a dash of ragtime and a sprinkle of country swing then this album is just what you need to start your day off right or end it on a high note. American roots band Bumper Jacksons are the darlings of the DC folk music scene, recently winning a Washington Area Music Award for Best Folk/Traditional Band and they are currently celebrating the release of their latest album, Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In.
Starting two years ago as a duo, the band has expanded to include more instruments than a production of The Music Man. You’ve got a clarinet, ukulele, banjo, guitar, trombone, pedal steel, upright bass, an old-timey washboard and just because-why not-an instrument the Bumper Jacksons call “The Suitcase”, which is basically a homemade instrument made from anything that can make a percussion sound.
Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In is a wildly creative, eclectic album that “paints America’s story from New Orleans’ brothels to Appalachian hollers” with folksy harmonies and vintage sounds reminiscent of old ragtime bands. The album is a mix of traditional and original songs, as well as a cover Tom Waits’ “Clap Hands” which has an eerie carnival sound to it, reminding me of the Wim Wender’s film Wings Of Desire.
The opening track is a fun, cheeky tune written by lead vocalist Jess Eliot Myhre called “Tippy Toe Sam”. It’s a catchy moonshine laced number about a baby with long toes that was left by the side of the road. Traditional folk song “Darlin’ Corey” gets a jazzed up treatment I’ve never heard done to this song before and it works just fine and dandy. Incorporating songs ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Sidney Bechet, this album is as fun as the band’s interests (house parties! Busking! Whiskey! Square dances! More whiskey!), but it’s their original tunes that I absolutely adored. With catchy lyrics in “Ragtime Millionaire’s”: “I’ve got diamonds on my fingers, ears and toes, a hundred dollar bill just to blow my nose” and the final track, an ode to vocalist/guitarist Chris Ousley’s favorite pork product that was written in a tow truck after the band’s car broke down while on tour. “Bacon Adoration” is witty and as juicy as the greasy meat it glorifies: “hey ladies-you like bacon? Hell yeah!” And the many different ways to consume it: “like
brussel sprouts, collard greens, Bloody Mary’s and ice cream. Hands in the air, hear the ladies scream- I like bacon on everything.”
Like a delicious apple pie, this album is sweet and succulent with just the right amount of tartness to satisfy your appetite.
Rating: Bad-Ass
