The Dr Teeth Big Band - Rhythm is our Business

Ok, let’s get the cliché out of the way first: it’s so hot it’s cool!

The Doctor – aka Steve Steinhaus – has the perfect voice and energy for this irresistible collection of swing, jive, boogie-woogie and bass-slapping rock’n’roll. He moans and groans, beckons you in and shouts you out. Backed by the rest of this highly energetic eight piece band he croons his way through ten well crafted and toe-tapping songs of great humour and mischief.

Varying in style from the Stray Cat Strut inspired 'Ruby in the Red Dress', through the driving rhythms of the title track and the macabre but humorous 'Cold Cold Ground' there isn’t a weak track on the album. Rhythm is driven by bass (Chris “The Jive Monster” Mapp, drums (Moreton Pinknee) and keyboards (Simon “The Duke Of” Kemp). Melody and further depth are provided by elegant guitar playing (Clancy D’Ockra – get it?) and moody sax (Jay “Choo Choo Ch” Moody), while the brass section of trombone (Simon “Let The Good Times Roll” Robilliard) and trumpet (Mike “Double Meat” Addlington) add subtlety or thumping volume as required.

Favourite track? Probably the impossible-to-sit-still-to 'Hey, Brother, can you spare some jive?' This wonderful three and a half minutes shows the energy and musicianship of the band at its best. I was instantly transported to a dance hall full of zoot suit clad cool dudes flinging their petticoated molls hither and, yes, thither! It also took me back to the Fred Quimby directed Tom and Jerry cartoons of my childhood; well you either know or you don’t!

The writing of nine tracks is by keyboard player Simon Kemp, with joint credits on two songs to Steve Steinhaus. One other track is a collaboration between Steinhaus and Jay Moody. Not just great players, but original music too!

They are playing in the Oxford area later this year – at Steeple Aston Village Hall on the 21st October and at The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury, on the 4th November. I for one will be there, because these boys rock! Check out other dates- in Birmingham and further afield – on their website http://www.drteethbigband.co.uk where they accurately describe their New Breed Swing as hard hitting-smart arsed-driving-soulfull-boogielitious music! Quite justifiably, in my humble opinion – buy this album!

See also: Dr Teeth Official Site

SMB (DI Reviewer), 09/10/06

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