Jonathon Stout and his Campus Five - "Crazy Rhythm"

I bought this album along with the most recent from the same group about 6 months ago. They are an LA based small swing combo that plays all over California at swing events. The band leader, Jonathon Stout, also runs a full orchestra. The interesting part is that he does it while being married with 2 kids and attending Loyola law school full time. I'm not sure how, but I'm glad he does. The band is absolutely superb. They are a top draw for swing dancers for a good reason, as they know how to play for dancers. The album is great, with 21 songs, all danceable, listed with their beat per minute. Aside from one track, it's all covers that span a surprisingly large breadth of swing artists. The arrangements are good, but the songs lack the overall energy of their live performances. That's not to say the cd is bad, because it's superb. It's just that live these guys will blow you out of the water. I'm not a huge fan of their vocalist, Hillary Alexander (who runs Camp Hollywood, one of the largest swing events in the country). I just don't care for her phrasing and she seems a little too tight when she sings. I got a chance to work with Jonathon a while back when I was part of performance at the Loyola law school annual talent show. He led the house band, and as we were doing a swing number, that put together an arrangement that worked for our choreographer. It was a satisfying experience, to be able to work with someone who understood the interplay between dance and music, as he is also a lindy hopper. You can here samples from this album at campusfive.com .