Hothouse Stomp
Hothouse Stomp is the debut album from Ghost Train Orchestra. The album debuts new arrangements of music by four bands from late 1920s Chicago and Harlem: Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Orchestra, McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, Fess Williams’ Royal Flush Orchestra, and Tiny Parham and His Musicians. It was recorded and mixed by Danny Blume in 2009 at Avatar Studios in New York City. Released in 2011.
NPR Top 10 of 2011
-- Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR
"This is music from the heart of the Jazz Age that still has a raucous immediacy. In fact, just about every track has the hookiness of a pop hit." -- Jon Garelick, BOSTON PHOENIX
"It's music with grit to it, with drive and raw energy. It's delightfully familiar, too — or is it? With quirky little arrangements, plus Carpenter's additions of strings and musical saw (responsible for the "voodoo" effect heard here) there are plenty of delights for the close listener." -- Patrick Jarenwattananon, for ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
"Brian Carpenter is a multi-faceted artist, musician, composer, arranger, film director, radio producer and more. In short, he's a guy who follows his muse. In this case, that muse is jazz of the 1920s and I'm mighty thankful he took this detour. Hothouse Stomp is a loving tip of the cap to some of the unsung greats of Harlem and Chicago's South Side...the only thing better than hearing this recording would be seeing the band live." -- Frank Alkyer, DOWNBEAT
"The music gathered and interpreted on this thoroughly winning disc all comes from a period before the emergence of the big-band jazz sound.Just about every track is full of those kinds of musical treats and surprises, and it all adds up to a relentlessly rollicking good time." -- Rick Anderson, ALL MUSIC GUIDE
"A trip through 1920s Chicago and Harlem...Carpenter selected, transcribed, arranged, and conducted tunes made semi-famous by bands that have faded into semi-obscurity...one must stop and remind oneself: This crazy-beautiful living-history lesson sprang from Brian Carpenter's mind. Wow." -- Steve Greenlee, BOSTON GLOBE
1. Ghost Train (Orchestra)
2. Mojo Strut
3. Stop Kidding
4. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You?
5. Voodoo
6. Blues Sure Have Got Me
7. Hot Bones and Rice
8. Dixie Stomp
9. Lucky 3-6-9
10. The Boy in the Boat
11. Slide, Mr. Jelly Slide
12. Hot Tempered Blues
Brian Carpenter - trumpet, harmonica, voice
Andy Laster - alto saxophone
Dennis Lichtman - clarinet
Matt Bauder - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
Mazz Swift - violin, vocals
Jordan Voelker - viola, saw
Curtis Hasselbring - trombone
Brandon Seabrook - banjo
Ron Caswell - tuba
Rob Garcia - drums