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THE JIMMYS- Gimme the Jimmys
(2011 Self-Release)
You can buy Gimme the Jimmys here.
Jimmy Voegeli and the boys know how to have a good time, even when they’re telling a story about not-so-good-times. The Jimmys‘ new album, Gimme the Jimmys, is all about having fun, well almost all of it.
Gimme the Jimmys is full of dance-ready horn pop best enjoyed with a shot of Jack chased with a cold beer. For the majority of the disk, there are no worries, no responsibilities, no fear of tomorrow — just good, old-fashioned fun. Sure, there are songs about love lost, shaky relationships and not-so-classy women — but none of that really matters because there’s another good time right around the corner.
The album does a very nice job of showcasing the individual talents in the band. Each of the guys gets a chance to shine. Jimmy Voegeli is the voice of the band and handles the keys. The other Jimmys include Mauro Magellan on drums and percussion, John Wartenweiler on bass, Dave Potter on guitar and Ken “Birddog” Olufs on harmonica and backing vocals. The band’s brass comes from The Amateur Horn Stars — Bryan Husk on tenor and baritone sax, Chad Whittinghill on trumpet and flugelhorn and Peterson Ross on alto sax.
This is an album of real stories — some fun, some painful, but all from the heart. For most of the eleven tracks, you’re taken for a ride on a party bus where nobody sits still for more than two seconds — because there’s no way they can sit still, the grooves are just too groovy.
Track one, “HaDaya, HaDaya” kicks off the party with some rabblerousing horns and rambunctious keys with a little get-up-and-dance electric guitar. This is where you make sure your drink is full and get ready for the ride.
“Girl All Woman” tells a tale of one of those women you can’t resist, but can’t take home to mom. A woman all men want to meet, especially after listening to this tune. The song features more horns, just enough guitar to make it nice and bluesy, and some sweet harmonica. It feels like a justification for a relationship that went wrong, but don’t listen for any regret in this one, because you won’t find it.
“Hell or Heaven” is looking for answers with some good harmonizing. The vocals here are strong, the guitars and horns work very well together. There are two sides of love and they’ve never sounded so good.
“Jimmy’s Groove” is all instruments, all the time. The keys get their turn to shine and the horns take it home. So all over the place, but so groovy.
On “She Don’t Love Me,” you start to get the point that even the down-on-your-luck songs are still gonna feel pretty good. Mix in some funny lyrics with some bluesy guitar and you’ve got a heartbreak song that doesn’t take itself too serious.
“Love Will Find a Way” is the catchiest tune on the disk. There’s a therapeutic vibe going on here. The bass keep things in line and keeps the tune driving forward. When Voegeli sings about waking up every morning high, we believe him. In fact, waking up every morning to this song might do us all some good.
On “Baby’s so Fine,” the sincerity of the vocals shines through. The instruments take a slight step back and let the heartfelt lyrics tell the story. It’s a slower groove, and that’s ok, we need a few minutes to catch our breath. Good stuff.
“JiMo Boogie” — Time to swing really hard. Here we go, come on now, get up, come on, swing it, use up the whole dance floor, break a sweat, let it out, uh, yeah, feel it, let it loose.
“All I Ask” — more groove, nice funky bass line, a little rock ‘n roll. That’s all this song is, and that’s all we want.
“The Tree” — this is the darkest, but prettiest song on the album. Here is where we learn that the band is capable of being serious when they want to be. The strings add a level of depth and real pain that we haven’t felt up until now. The haunting melody helps tell a tragic story of loss and regret. This serious side fits the band well — The Tree ends up being one of the strongest tracks on the disc.
“Hell or Heaven Reprise” — They liked it so much, they put it on the album twice. This one is radio ready.
So, if you’re ready to dance, stop worrying about tomorrow, even if only for 49 minutes (minus four and half minutes for the serious song), this is as good a place as any. It is what it is — good music played by really good musicians. Don’t over-think it and everything will be all right. And from the sounds of things, that’s just how Jimmy and the boys would want it to be.
