The Vintage Vibe Tribe, one of the more recent JSJBF member bands, was recently featured at the Chubby Pickle Jazz Café, treating the audience to their unique take on jazz standards, as well as songs that might be unfamiliar to jazz aficionados. Lead vocalist Casey Sky has the vintage microphone, the look, and most importantly, the voice that makes their music connect with the crowd. Multi-instrumentalist Jay Sweet played guitar, and his style on a stunning blue D’Angelico Premier was the perfect complement to her vocals. Bobby Boyd, a master of his craft and a teacher at Monmouth University, was on drums. Unfortunately, Justin Lee, on upright bass, was unable to make the first set, which placed more responsibility on Jay. This limited his ability to improvise on songs as he could in the second and third sets.
The opener, Tracy Chapman’s thirty-year-old hit, “Give Me One Reason,” let you know right away that you were not going to be listening to your father’s jazz vocal group. While they delivered a solid take on classics like “Fly Me to the Moon,” “All of Me,” and “Days of Wine and Roses,” they truly stepped out with Ceelo Green’s “Crazy.” With Casey making animated gestures while belting it out, the arrangement had more of a ’50s feel than one from the new millennium. Journey was represented with the band’s interpretation of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” where the vocals stood out as an excellent choice, supported by great rhythm from Jay and Bobby. For a totally unexpected twist, they closed the set with a fantastic version of Elle King’s 2015 hit “Ex’s & Oh’s,” a song you might hear on 90.5 The Night, not WBGO.
When Justin arrived, they paused the first set to let him set up, and after a short break, they returned as a quartet. First up was Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” performed as if the Black Crowes had decided to become a jazz band. It sounded fresh, and with the bass now in the mix, Jay was able to provide some tasty jazz fills over Casey’s powerful vocals, backed by a first-class rhythm section. Another surprising selection followed: Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” done in the style of the theme song for The Osbournes, with Casey sporting some wild glasses for an over-the-top effect. After beautiful renditions of Sade’s “Smooth Operator” and the Otis Blackwell song made famous by Peggy Lee, “Fever,” another more recent tune, Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” energized the room, highlighted by Justin’s outstanding solo. They wrapped up the set with Radiohead’s “Creep,” another inspired choice that certainly fit their “vibe.”
The third set opened with another Ceelo Green tune, “Forget You,” followed by a classic rendition of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” Amy Winehouse’s signature tune “Valerie” was another excellent selection in this carefully curated evening of songs. What’s a night of female-led jazz vocals without some Latin flavor? “Besame Mucho” filled that role perfectly, with Casey leading the way. The evening concluded with Billy Joel’s nod to the great composers of the mid-twentieth century, “New York State of Mind,” and in the hands of these fine musicians, it was a treat for the ears.
If you enjoy vocal jazz but don’t want to hear only tunes from the American songbook, I highly recommend the Vintage Vibe Tribe (www.TheVintageVibeTribe.com). I promise you won’t be disappointed.