It's All Right/Medley: Hey Senorita & Treat Her Right/This I Swear/A Sweet Woman Like You/Who’s That Knocking?/Medley: Love Don’t Love Nobody & End Of The Road/Big Boy Pete/Medley: We Belong Together & Over The Mountain & You Send Me & Gloria/Medley: I’ve Bee Lonely For So Long & Power Of Love/Looking Foe An Echo/Wonderful Girl/Lovers Never Say Goodbye.

KENNY VANCE
"Short Vacation"
La Plano RG131           Playing Time: 41.41

He Will Break Your Heart/Wonderful World/Touch Will Tell/Trickle Trickle/The Performer/Heartbreak Hotel/Some Kind Of Wonderful/Bye Bye Love/Short Vacation/Lost In the Moment

Not one but two new releases by Kenny Vance, the former member of Jay And The Americans and produced the musical scores for some of the better recent rock ‘n’ roll movies. “Out Of This World” is a live recording made at The Bitter End club on 11th and 12th November 1999 whilst “Short Vacation” is a set of studio recordings which, with one exception, were laid down in 1989. The exclusion in the last mentioned is “Lost In The Moment” which is a gentle ballad and is part of the soundtrack for the forthcoming movie “Into My Heart”, a very melodic number and has to a contender for an Oscar nomination.

For the live set, Kenny and The Planotones generally stick with a set of tried and true numbers but on all occasions attempt, and generally succeed, in breathing new life into the songs. As will be observed from the track listing, the selections range from great doo wop songs such as the Genies “Who’s That Knocking”, The Penguins “Hey Senorita”, Robert & Johnny’s “We Belong Together, The Cadillacs “Gloria” and The Skyliners “This I Swear” through to a sampling of early soul numbers such as The Impressions “It’s All Right”, Joe Tex’s A Sweet Woman Like You”, Joe Simon’s “Power Of Love” and Frederick Knight’s “I’ve Been Lonely For So Long”. Along the way the group rock out on The Olympics “Big Boy Pete” and Roy Head’s “Treat Her Right”. In all instances, the harmonies are to the front and are beautifully blended plus accompanied by sympathetic and understanding backing musicians..

However two exceptional tracks are the doo-wop revival ballad "Looking For An Echo" (which alone is worth buying the CD for) and the lesser well known Fred Parris, of Five Satins fame, number “Wonderful Girl”, a momentous performance. Based on this performance this outfit are a must to see.

The "Short Vacation" set again features quite a few well known numbers but boy this time around are given totally different arrangements. It certainly takes a few spins to get into this CD, it is quite unique. The treatments range from folkish to harmonious through to jazz tinged but all with a laid back feel, real mood music. For sure, “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Bye Bye Love” have never sounded this way before. The take of Jerry Butler’s “He Will Break Your Heart” really works and on this Vance is joined by Eugene Pitts, the lead singer of the Jive Five. All In all this is a set for after hours, perhaps at a small night club or at home with your partner and the curtains drawn (in the case of the latter, it is bound to have such an effect that one had better take a few energy producing drinks first).

Contact Kenny Vance at PO Box 116, Fort Tilden, New York 111695 USA or check out the web site at www.planotones.com.