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The Grand St. Express

by The Grand St. Stompers

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1.
Johnny Brown went around to all the dances in town, most every night or so; Little Pearl was his girl and she could always be found, wherever Johnny used to go. Any night at all, at a dance or ball, they were the first out in the hall: Dancing around, they’d be dancing around; oh how he’d hold her, head on his shoulder. Oh how he’d tease, then he’d dip with his knees; he’d trot her to a corner and he’d steal a little squeeze. While they were dancing around, all around all around, they were the talk of the town! And when the band was playing that Hesitation, you could hear her saying, “That’s some sensation,” and the people would stay ’til the break of the day, while they were dancing around! Girls around in the town all loved to dance with young Brown, but they all knew Miss Pearl; she was there with a stare that said “go on if you dare!” but you could hardly blame the girl. On the floor she’d stay, dancing night and day, just to keep them all away: (repeat chorus)
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Crazy Eyes 03:31
I’ve got a cat, and plain to see, his eyes are different as you and me: the left one’s red, the right one’s green; great for Christmas, but not Halloween. All my life I thought it strange; now my estimation’s due to change, cuz I’ve seen something new: those crazy eyes on you! You got crazy, hazy, googly, woogly eyes. I’d like to find a pair (or: I’d like to pop them out) and try them on for size. You got red orange yellow green blue and brown; you’re a technicolor marvel when you look around, but I prefer you train them straight on me! I fantasize that those big eyes are windows to you soul; they talk all about true colors, but yours is a complete rainbow! I can’t theorize, hypothesize, why I’ve fallen for those great big eyes, your crazy, hazy, googly, woogly, made-me-love-you eyes. Excuse me if I over-emphasize, but you make peacocks green with envy at your eyes. You got silver, copper, red green yellows and blues; I heard Crayola sent a spy to match your hues. Now someday, some way, if I may be so bold, I’ll be the one to uncover that your rainbow has a heart of gold! I can’t verbalize, or summarize; guess I’ll have to just improvise, ’bout your crazy, hazy, googly, woogly, made-me-love-you eyes, yes sir! Those made-me-love-you eyes. I can’t verbalize, or summarize; guess I’ll have to just harmonize ’bout your crazy, hazy, googly, woogly, made-me-love-you eyes!
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Pavonis 05:44
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When life seems but an echo of how things were before, I’ll be there for you. When all your hopes and fancies are dashed upon the shore, I’ll be there for you. When you are in love and she doesn’t care, when your lonely life seems so unfair, then you will see love’s a tragedy, a comedy in which we all play fools. Then when your heart is mending, you’ll remember me, and I’ll be there for you! When your heart is mending, you’ll remember me, and I’ll be there for you! I’ll be there for you!
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about

The Stompers’ debut album is a rollicking ride aboard an express train, departing from a WWI-era ballroom, coasting through New Orleans classics, taking a detour into Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker territory, touring the blues-drenched Southern scenery of WC Handy, steaming along the cliffs of original rags, and dipping down into the hushed valleys of Tamar Korn’s lush vocal ballads. All aboard!

credits

released October 1, 2011

All tracks arranged by Gordon Au/Gordonburi Music (ASCAP)

Tamar Korn - vocals (1,5,8)
Gordon Au - cornet (1,4) post horn (8) piano (3) trumpet (others)
Dennis Lichtman - clarinet
Dan Levinson - tenor sax (6,7,11)
Matt Musselman - trombone
Ehud Asherie - piano (1,4,6-7,10-11)
Nick Russo - guitar (2-3,8) banjo (1,3,5,9)
Rob Adkins - bass
Kevin Dorn - drums (1-3,6-7,9,11)

Produced by Gordon Au (GordonAuMusic.com)
Recorded March 21-22 and April 12, 2011 by Peter Karl in Brooklyn, NY
Mixed and Mastered by Peter Karl and Bryan Shaw
Artwork by Melissa Pagluica (MPagluica.com)
Special thanks to the musicians; to Peter, Bryan, Michael, Melissa, and Veronica; to William Chiong, Kevin McEvoy & Barbara Epstein, and William Au for their generous financial support; to Chris Edmunds who underwrote Escallonia Rag, Michael Steinman who underwrote I'll Be There For You, Chris Sweigard who underwrote Crazy Eyes, and to all those who donated to help fund this project; to Melissa Aldana, Chris Edmunds and the New Orleans Moonshiners, Peter Ford & Jared Engel and Baby Soda, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Wycliffe Gordon, Jon-Erik Kellso, Richard Kurtzer and White Heat NYC, Chris Lanzetta and Radegast, Jayna Morgan, David Ostwald and Birdland, Eve Polich, Jake Sanders and the Cangelosi Cards, and Linnzi Zaorski; to all the other fabulous musicians who play with us but don't appear here, as well as those who offered invaluable advice; to the great swing dancers; and lastly to all our family, friends, fans, and other supporters!

Join us at facebook.com/GrandStStompers

Copyright ℗© 2011 Gordon Au / Gordonburi Music (ASCAP)

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Gordon Au New York, New York

Called “comfortable in any idiom and fearless” by the press, Gordon plays and composes modern and trad jazz. He leads the Grand St. Stompers, called “a pillar of New York’s hot jazz scene” by the NYTimes, and appears with the Grammy-winning Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, the Armstrong Eternity Band at Birdland, Dandy Wellington, and others, and performs worldwide at festivals, dance events, & more. ... more

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