Pennies From Heaven,
the Susie Arioli Swing Band's sophomore release, would prove to be
Ralph Sutton's last recording session. The stride piano master appears on a hushed, haunting "Don't Explain" and a boogie-woogie romp called "Walter's Flat," composed by
Arioli's fabulous guitarist, Jordan Officer, who again gets front-cover billing.
Arioli's vocals are chipper and versatile, taking plainspoken delight in songs by
Fats Waller,
Duke Ellington,
Cole Porter, and more. In a quirky twist,
Arioli also serves as the band's drummer, softly tapping out four with brushes on a snare drum. Officer, bassist Solon McDade (or Colin Bray), and acoustic guitarist Michael Jerome Brown round out the group's offbeat, minimalistic lineup.
Jeff Healey walks on for a
Django-esque acoustic solo flight on "Having Fun," a
Memphis Slim tune that one could imagine being sung by
Patsy Cline. But the chief attraction is Officer, whose twangy, old-school archtop sound and sparse, witty phrasing suit everything from
Nat King Cole-style swing ("No Regrets") to rockabilly ("Jordan's Boogie") to Chicago blues (
Otis Rush's "Sit Down Baby"). ~ David R. Adler