Have you ever wondered what Tony Bennett would sound like if he had sold out to Jesus instead of Vegas? Or even if the Chairman of the Board himself, Frank Sinatra, had found faith and turned his talent and attention heavenward? Jason and the Gmen's swing outfit is about as near as you'll ever get, short of Harry Connick Jr.'s imminent conversion. In fact, there is nothing in the Christian community that comes close to comparing with the authenticity of what Jason and his pack are doing, except some of the more lounge inspired numbers Carmen was doing back in the Eighties. If Brian Setzer Orchestra and the Cherry Poppin' Daddies are today's hip version of swing, Jason and the Gmen definitely offer your granddaddy-o's variety, straight up and uncut with vintage sounds galore. They even sound like they are having a heap load of fun doing it.
Even though he'd like to be, Jason Harms as the lead vocalist is no Frank Sinatra. Then again, who could be? It's often best not to compare to the incomparable. If you don't, you'll find Harms' old-fashioned style to be quite fashionable indeed, and not at all passé. His real affection for the old sounds is clearly translated into numbers where he croons and scats in fine form with the requisite charm and swagger. Using two guitars, a bass, drums, tympani, vibes, percussion and drums, the band that backs him weaves a tight spell of swinging lounge sounds which is especially noted on the two instrumental tracks, the laid-back "Search for Summer," and the upbeat "G-Jive." Of particular note are Jason's brothers, Jesse Harms on bass and Isaac Harms on drums, who together create a tight, optimistic rhythm worthy of a happy shuffle or two on the dance floor. If I got to play producer, however, I would have pulled the stand-up bass licks even more forward into the music, instead of letting them wallow too far in the background. A bigger budget would also have helped flesh out the overall sound more fully.
Jason Harms also serves as the group's principal songwriter, and the few songs he offers here are entirely and seamlessly functional. The album's bulk consists of cover songs, including two from musicals: "Lida Rose" from the Music Man and "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" by Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma. "Leaning into You" is a mellow story of a man who likens his blessed life to an old hickory tree, and a new collaboration coupling Harms' music with a poem that John Piper, the author of "Future Grace," wrote for his wife. The album's two largest highlights include the now ubiquitous song, "Sixteen Tons," in which the central figure laments:
You load sixteen tons, and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store.
The other is "Here's One," which is a traditional spiritual tune given a swinging face-lift. The album opener, it stands apart as the only moment of really obvious faith-sharing in an album dedicated to more obviously human forms of romance. Sung with great conviction, you may also want to declare:
Talk about a man who do love Jesus, here's one.
Ever since I heard that gospel story,
I've been walking up the road to glory.
Talk about a man who do love Jesus, here's one.
Although the title Swing Hard Swing Often might seemingly set you up for an album that is more rocking and harder-edged than what is delivered, this smooth collection of vintage tunes has great generational appeal. Jason and the Gmen have been mimicking and creating their own authentic swing style jazz for almost a decade now, and show no signs of quitting any time soon. To some their sound will remain a mere novelty like some cute throwback to the old days, but the hordes of fans that pack the Cornerstone tents and Minnesota concert halls to see them live and in person know better.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth December 1999Reviewed by Lisa ReidIf you didn't know better, you'd think they'd perfected time travel. Because here you are, back in the '40s, listening to real live big band swing. It's got the piano, the cymbals, the timpani, the vibes, and the upright bass. (No horns, but apparently we don't need them.) When else could this be but the '40s? Jason Harms has this down. His rich, deep, resonant voice pauses in the right places,…The Phantom Tollbooth October 1999Reviewed by Josh MarihughWhat comes to mind when I hear this disc? My girlfriend and I, in full formal wear, sitting in a candlelit restaurant, while this music plays softly in the background. The sound is very reminiscent of acts such as Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra, and just seems like it would fit in such a setting. Lyrically, there are less overtly "Christian" songs than the band's earlier album G as in Men. The…
