Janet Klein's Scandals" Or "Living In Sin CD

Yet another collection of "obscure, lovely and naughty songs," 2004's Living in Sin is probably Klein's strongest effort since her near-solo debut Come Into My Parlor. Klein's second album, Paradise Wobble, was a trifle awkward in the way it incorporated her new backing band, the Parlor Boys, and its follow-up, Put a Flavor to Love, was perhaps a shade below her earlier albums in terms of material. (Klein writes none of her own songs, choosing her repertoire from vintage songbooks and sheet music of the early 20th century.) Living in Sin, however, rebounds with a wonderfully idiosyncratic range of songs including a sly version of the rude old standard "Ballin' the Jack" to the utterly strange (but weirdly appropriate in the age of SARS and avian flu) novelty tune "Some Little Bug Is Going to Find You (The Germ Song)." Klein's vocals and ukulele remain front and center, but her band's varied and period-appropriate arrangements suit her unique sound perfectly. ~ Stewart Mason

JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS"JANET KLEIN'S SCANDALS"AKA "LIVING IN SIN!"Ukulele chanteuse Janet Klein's 2004 most hotsy totsy CD release entitled"JANET KLEIN'S SCANDALS" vivaciously evokes the mischievous music of 1910-30s nightclubs, clip joints and dance halls with a simmering selection of early jazz tunes. Most of these 22 songs are originally from burlesque, Vitaphone short films, dance hall and movie musicals of the 1920s and 30s, many of which originally not intended for radio or records. In the vein of naughty comedy singers like Sophie Tucker, Eddie Cantor, Fannie Brice and Chico Marx, Janet renders these clever tunes with a loving flare like no other sweet spunky gal can. The captivating Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys have a knack for bringing to life great forgotten music, in a fresh and irresistible way.The title and evocative cover of the CD is a play on images and words from the original 1930's George White Scandals variety show and follies. They ably represent the CD's saucy thematic contents as the band delivers their own musical follies show complete with naughty comic tunes, Burlesque patter, hot dance hall numbers and some sweet and soulful songs to round things out. The first six titles can give you an idea of what's going on here: "Hollywood Party, Good Little Bad Little You, You Keep Me Living in Sin, How Could Red Riding Hood? My Bluebirds Are Singing The Blues, Don't Take That Blackbottom Away." The CD features inspired performances by Parlor Boy notables: IanWhitcomb (of 1960's pop fame), Tom Marion and Robert Armstrong (of Robert Crumb's Cheap Suit Serenaders), 91 year old Bob Mitchell (of Bob Mitchell's Boys Choir, featured in over 110 movies) and Dan Levinson horn player for Leon Redbone. It's produced by Robert Loveless of the innovative groups: Scenic, 17 Pygmies and Savage Republic."Janet Klein's Scandals" opens with "Hollywood Party" taken from the title tune to a 1932 flick starring Jimmy Durante, vaudevillian Polly Moran and Laurel and Hardy. In the movie a bevy of dancing switchboard operators kick off this number sung by Broadway's Queen of Jazz Francis Williams. Gossip tells of a swell party in town, "Bring along your girl, go home with someone else's, forget about your girl, she's gonna do all right... Get up get out get in it, Hollywood Party oh, nobody sleeps tonight."The charming Ms Klein performs four duets with three different Parlor Boys, one of which was the first song to be banned from the radio, "How Could Red Riding Hood?" Janet delivers an oy-vey rendition of Yiddish tune called "Sheik Of Avenue B" accompanied by the legendary Bob Mitchell on the mighty Wurlitzer. You'll also find the tune "Everyone Says, I Love You" rendered in the style of Chico and Groucho Marx's "Horse Feathers" movie performance. And in the same comic vein there's an impassioned plea with a telephone operator in the song "Baby O Mine," and dietary warnings in the cautionary ditty "Some Little Bug Is Going To Find You," that ring as tr