「專輯樂評」
樂隊：The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band
專輯：Year of the Rabbit (CD/下載）
來自：英國牛津
風格：傳統爵士／藍調 ／復古爵士
發行年份：2011
樂隊官網：www.rabbitfootspasmband.co.uk
Year of the Rabbit 是The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band的2011年專輯，在中國兔年的大年初一推出。樂隊更為此起了一個中文名字：喧鬧兔子富特。
The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band，一支來自英國牛津的7人樂隊，在領隊Stuart Macbeth的帶領下，巡迴英國大小城市，音樂廳，酒吧，俱樂部和音樂節；Stuart透露，樂隊最高峰一年有超過250場大大小小的表演。從2008年至今，樂隊已成為英國非主流群裡最知名，最活躍，最難忘，最驚喜，最令人跳個不停的爵士樂隊。
若你熟悉爵士歷史，樂隊的名字已經透露領隊Stuart對爵士歷史的尊重。
"The Original" 來源於 "The Original Dixieland Jazz Band'， 一支最早被錄音的New Orleans爵士樂隊。
"Rabbit Foot" 來源於 The Rabbit's Foot Company, 此公司曾經管理和錄製著名的傳統爵士藍調歌手 Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Butterbeans and Susie, Tim Moore, Big Joe Williams, Louis Jordan, Brownie McGhee, Arthur "Happy" Howe, 和 Rufus Thomas。 “Spasm" 是一New Orleans 爵士風格，在19世紀興起。起源於小朋友在New Orleans 街上玩耍他們自制的樂器。 （有趣的是，這些樂器的材料通常來自於廚房）
樂隊的风格接近早期New Orleans爵士樂，在加上blues, boogie woogie 和 rockabily的元素. 在你細聽專輯以後， 许多著名爵士歌手的影子都翩翩重現：Louis Armstrong, Jerry Lee Lewis, Louis Prima, Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Fats Domino, Duke Ellington 等等...
Year of the Rabbit 的歌詞更敘說了很多歷史故事， 包括1920年代至1950年代倫敦唐人街，1920年代的上海，1950年代的英國復古爵士運動，蒸汽火車，被遺棄的遊樂場，蠟像館，博物館，懷舊音樂店等等。 其中 “Limehouse Jelly Roll" 更引入了中國音樂特色。專輯也可以被看作一件表達現實主義，寫實主義的音樂藝術品。除了片段式的歷史故事以外，領隊還通過他的音樂告訴我們作為一個音樂創作者的艱辛生活。
聽著這張專輯，就像是看著一部懷舊實驗電影，有節奏地穿梭着歷史，在想象中學習著英國稀奇古怪，不為人知的事情。若當年我們歷史課是這種風格，你說該多好。
「Album Review]
The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band
Record: Year of the Rabbit (CD/DL)
Region: Oxford, United Kingdom
Genre: Trad Jazz/Jump Blues/Rythymic Blues
Released Year: 2011
Website: www.rabbitfootspasmband.co.uk
Year of the Rabbit, a record by The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, released in 2011. It was released on the first day of Chinese New Year, as 2011, was indeed the year of the rabbit.
The seven-piece band comes from Oxford, England. Under frontman Stuart Macbeth's leadership, the group travels up and down the country, playing at different venues such as music halls, pubs, clubs, theatres and music festivals all year round. Stuart revealed, the band actively performs over 250 shows each year. Since 2008, this band has become the most energetic, the most unforgettable, the most surprising, and the most non-stoppable dancing jazz band in the country.
If you are familiar with the history of jazz, the band's name has already revealed the band's salute to jazz history.
"The Original" comes from "The Original Dixieland Jazz Band", the earliest jazz band being recorded. "Rabbit Foot" comes from The Rabbit's Foot Company, this company used to manage and record early jazz and blues musicians such as Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Butterbeans and Susie, Tim Moore, Big Joe Williams, Louis Jordan, Brownie McGhee, Arthur "Happy" Howe, and Rufus Thomas. "Spasm" is a type of New Orleans jazz style，that was invented at the end of the 19th century. The inspiration came from children playing homemade instruments on the streets of New Orleans. (Interestinglly, the materials of these homemade instruments normally come from the kitchen.)
The band sounds similar to traditional New Orleans jazz，in addition, they also include the sound from blues, boogie woogie and rockabily. After listening to the record for a few times, you would also recognise some of the jazz legends being referenced in music：Louis Armstrong, Jerry Lee Lewis, Louis Prima, Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, Fats Domino, Duke Ellington and many more...
Year of the Rabbit tells us different historical stories in fragments, they include Limehouse Chinatown, junk shop, Cornish Riviera Express, taxidermia, river shuffle jazz boat... Furthermore, the record is defintely a piece of Kitchen Sink art in the form of music, as it also tells us the stories about how a passionate musician struggles in his life.
It is like watching a moving image, going through different decades in steady swing beats, learning about the history of the old weird England in imaginary, through someone's personal museum - triggered by the old warm sound. I only wish, that my history class was in such style.