On June 26, New York jazz ensemble Waverly Seven will release their recording debut YO! BOBBY, a two-disc set of 24 reinterpreted Bobby Darin classics. The group unveiled the new album live in a sold-out March 14 performance at NYC’s Jazz Standard.
“Bringing something new to these already beloved songs might have been seen as a daunting task however we decided to look at recording this album as a celebration of an era,” said saxophonist Joel Frahm in a press release. “We aimed to nail not only the music but also the showmanship. To truly become entertainers like Darin and those of his time and have fun with it.” A stellar grouping of next-generation talent, the Seven includes reedist Anat Cohen, her brother and trumpeter Avishai Cohen, saxist Joel Frahm, pianist Manuel Valera, organist Jason Lindner, bassist Barak Mori and drummer Daniel Freedman. Special guests on the project include baritone saxist Scott Robinson and guitarist Vic Juris.
Darin hailed from the Bronx, going on to win two Grammy awards with 12 Top 20 Pop Singles and 14 Top 200 albums released between 1958 and 1969, cementing his place as a big band icon. In 1973, complications from heart valve surgery (Darin had heart disease) resulted in the singer’s death at age 37, leaving behind an impressive body of work with less than two decades in the music business.
YO! BOBBY Track List:
Disc One:
1. Charade
2. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
3. Splish Splash
4. Nature Boy
5. Oh! Look At Me Now
6. I Guess I’m Good For Nothing But the Blues
7. Call Me Irresponsible
8. In Love in Vain
9. The More I See You
10. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
11. That Funny Feeling
12. Artificial Flowers
Disc Two:
1. I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me
2. The Good Life
3. Work Song
4. All the Way
5. I Wanna Be Around
6. Spring Is Here
7. Some of These Days
8. Black Coffee
9. Mack the Knife
10. How About You
11. Skylark
12. It’s You Or No One
