Just listening to Rio Neon's "Midnight Surprise" and it's a gorgeous piece of work ... & right up our alley since it appeals to both folk/acoustic & jazz tastes. Not too shabby on the comedy front either.
On its swinging business card that accompanied Midnight Surprise, the five-piece folk-jazz outfit Rio Neon bills itself as "A unique band featuring swing and traditional music." Fact is, this local group's sound is like something straight outta Lake Wobegon and "A Prarie Home Companion". Eat your heart out, Garrison Keillor. Note to Keillor: book these guys for the show the next time you're in Cleveland.
The group goes full-bore down the acoustic road, with tips of the hat to the Kingston Trio, Tin Pan Alley songwriters and Peter, Paul & Mary - even as they filter all of these songwriting elements through Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind. The release begins with a kooky love song "Beat of My Heart," and the next nine songs aim to tickle the funny bone in a very modern way, even though the aim is for a much more traditional sound filled with mandolin, fiddle and vocalist Sally Kandel's musings.
Of the highlights: there's a fun take on "Georgia On My Mind," a hyperactive ditty that suggests the band might have overdosed on "Too Much Chocolate" before recording... and I'll let you guess what I think a "Midnight Surprise" (the title track) actually is referring to. You can't help but crack up. Singer/guitarist Red Michel and Co. do a fine job of balancing and tongue-in-cheek wit.