black and White

Album Review

Born when "Professor" Doug Bell asked "Gentleman" Joe Cooper if he wanted to start an "original" band, Bellevue Cadillac has come to be one of the hottest and most original bands around and a leader in the resurgence of the swing era (as if it ever left!). On Black and White, little of the band's rock-the-roof-off energy is lost. In fact, the only things missing are the fedoras and big suits. From the opening rip into the title track to the final thumps of "Heartbeat," the album is a 12-part story of passion for everything "real" — from music to cars to women and much more. Having played with a bevy of artist ranging from the Blues Brothers to Prince, Cadillac churns together echoes of swing and jazz giants like Count Basie and Duke Ellington (whose classic "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is playfully sampled on the opening cut) with a Stax-y R&B vibe, down-home blues (lead by Bell's whining and wailing big-bodied six-string) and even a bit of doo wop. Black and White is a colorful journey where each turn reveals a different side of the Bellevue sound, all of which shine like the chrome of a classic Cadillac tailpipe. Idling only occasionally, Bellevue Cadillac rocks and rolls down the musical highway, picking up fans young and old along the way.