Bent Fabric

BENT FABRIC
"JUKEBOX"
(Hidden Beach, 2005)


"Keep On Rising"


I wrote a bit about this CD before, but I decided to dedicate a whole post to it because ... well, quite frankly, it's that good and it deserves more than one mention. This is one of those CDs that I honestly can't imagine anyone disliking, and that I think everyone should hear, no matter what kind of music may be their favorite.

For an 80-something-year-old Dane, Bent Fabricius-Bjerre is pretty darn hip. Okay, most of these songs have probably been extensively tricked-out for the modern music audience by the album's army of producers, but Bent Fabric is the writer and performer of the piano melody at the heart of each of the tunes. Most of the songs have been rounded out with lyrics, but there are a pair of instrumentals: the super-fun "Blowout", and the classic arrangement of his most famous tune, "Alley Cat" (you might not know it by name, but you've definitely heard it before).

As for the vocal numbers, they're about as much of a grab-bag as you could ask for. Two dance numbers ("Bam Boogie" and the title track) get the party started, but there's also a seductive Latin number ("Haven't You Noticed"), an outstanding contemporary-R&B track ("It Feels Like Love"), a hip-shaking love song ("Everytime"), a semi-soulful soother ("Just Be There For Me"), and an energetically slinky bopper (the paradoxically titled "Relax Boy"). Six different singers are featured on the album, resulting in an enjoyable mix between male and female vocals.

Rarely has an album's title been as appropriate as this one, because this truly is a "jukebox", jumping randomly from one style of music to another. It would be perfect for a party, because all the tracks are fun and can be danced to. And I'd bet the DJ would be asked by more than a few of the partygoers: "Hey, what's that disc you were spinning?!"