*** The Mighty Blue Kings

MEET ME IN UPTOWN

(R-Jay)

Although this seven-piece combo is heavily rooted in blues, and more particularly jump blues, à la Louis Jordan, the Mighty Blue Kings deliver like a sax-driven big band. Lead singer Ross Bon croons, swoons, and claps his way through each number, his deep voice and subtle energy pervading the toe-tapper "Big Mamou" and the swanky, slow-blues strut "Grinnin' like a Chessy Cat." In a feel-good tune like the jump-inducing "Rag Mop," the band get into high-spirited, shouting call-and-response exchanges with Bon. When band members aren't shouting purely for ecstasy's sake, they're driving on the soloist. In fact, solos are a high point here. Most songs culminate in the full-flavored, vibrato- and trill-laced ravings of the tenor and baritone saxes, which are showcased most jubilantly on "Cadillac Boogie" and "In the Night." An instrumental tune, though not the best on the disc, demonstrates the band's arranging and playing authority.

-- Y. Ryan Gonen