Dem Brooklyn Bums - New York Swing, much in the style of Ray Gelato.
1.Going the distance 2.Boardwalk boogie 3.Hot rod Vinnie 4.One good reason 5.Bad boy swing 6.Slap ya 'round 7.Wifebeata boogie 8.Speak softly love 9.Midnight rose 10.Switchblade mambo 11.Detroit rock city 12.Loose cannon...baby 13.Double expresso
Dem Brooklyn Bums
Formed in early 1997 by 'Broccoli' Rob Cittadino, Dem Brooklyn Bums already boasts a solid reputation. With their second CD, 'Step Up to the Plate' debuting on the CMJ charts at #17 and opening for major acts all over the country such as the Royal Crown Revue, Save Ferris, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Brian Setzer Orchestra and even Shaquille O'Neil, in the Fall of 2000, Dem Brooklyn Bums went overseas and toured Europe. Dem Brooklyn Bums are poised to be bigger than US Steel! Inspired by his early experiences as a bassist in every kind of band from heavy metal to what would be the forerunner of Dem Brooklyn Bums, Captain Sticky Big Band (a spoof on old classics), 'Broccoli' Rob discovered he had the vocal talents, music savvy, wacky humor, and boundless energy to start what would become the most original and audience-pleasing band this country has seen in ages! However, this isn't your plain old garden-variety band. Even though the meticulous jazz chops would tell you otherwise, you don't see your average swing cats playing at 480 BPM, crowd-surfing with their upright bass, or writing tunes such as 'Switchblade Mambo', 'Wifebeata Boogie', 'Slap Ya 'Round' and 'Boozin' and Cruizin'. But don't call the local authorities just yet - 'Broccoli' Rob says, "Hey, this is just a parody. We love mom, apple pie, and the regular Joe who wants to go out with his girl, rip up the dance floor, and have the best time they've had in years!" Joining in this mad frenzy is Rob's buddy from his teen metal days, Rich 'Dusty Chopmeat' Zukor on drums, whose motto is 'beef before sleep'. Rich recruited Dave 'The Carnasie Kid' Levitt from music school to cover trombone duties. From there, we have Timmy 'Pimento' Clemente on guitar and backing vocals, Bernhard 'Gunter Ginter' Ullrich on tenor and baritone sax, and Paulie 'Pierogies' Brandenburg on trumpet.
"Ya better watch out when deez wise guys come into your town. With their own brand of hard edge swing, they'll bim-bam blow you away. Hearing Rob sing is like being in the 'big house' and having the warden tell you what to do. He should be charged with assault, because he slaps that bass like a red-headed step-child. To hear Rich play the drums is like hearing the great Buddy Rich play in a rock band... Good and loud!!! The guy is incredible behind the set. Timmy is a powerhouse on the guitar. His solos are great! By lookin' at this guy, who would have thought he would have a record for resisting arrest? Paulie is a virtuoso on the trumpet. His solos hit ya like a ton of bricks, much like when he hit that deer with his van (but that's another story). Bernhard is the godfather of sax players. When he plays 'Speak Softly Love', images of a dead horse head in your bed come to mind. (For those of you who have never seen 'The Godfather', don't even bother taking your head out of the sand because it's probably too late for ya anyhow!) And let's not forget Dave. He's definitely one of the best t-bone players I know. Have him do his Melvis impression for ya. You'll laugh your ass off. I saw the Bums twice on Febuary 5, 2000. They were playing at an outside Italian Festival in Ft. Myers, FL. They played an incredible 1 1/2 hour set. Seeing as though this was my first time seeing these guys, I didn't know what to expect. The funny thing is..... I still don't. You never know what to expect with this group. Their show is one of the most visual shows I've ever seen. They also have some of the most talented players around. After the show, they walked about 50 feet and went into Gotham Hall to play in the Cigar Bar. This time they played 2 sets. Of course, being inside a club in the middle of the night, the show was a little dirtier. This made it ever better than before (if you can believe that!) I especially enjoyed Rob's rendition of the Bb blues classic....'When I get out of the big house, I'm gonna punch that bitch in the face'. I must say, this song deserves a Grammy. Well, I took a little trip to good ol' New York, New York. I met up with the guys and hung out at the studio. A couple of days later I went on the subway with Dave and Paulie to Brooklyn. The Bums were playing at the Ship's Mast. We all went to dinner at an awesome Italian place (go figure!). Then I went to Rob's place to kill some time. The guys didn't go on until about 11:30 because we were waiting for Rich to get back from his Tom Jones concert. They played two sets. They premiered a couple of new songs and I finally heard Timmy sing a love song. I was a splendid little melody called 'I Love My Wife'. Sorry to say, I can't post the words on this site because I try to keep it kinda clean.......... Ok fine." anon.
Dem Brooklyn Bums - New York Swing, much in the style of Ray Gelato.