Dessy Di Lauro- This is Neo-Ragtime FULL ALBUM STREAM + REVIEW

Dessy Di Lauro- This is Neo-Ragtime

Artist: Dessy Di Lauro
Title: This is Neo-Ragtime
Hood: Los Angeles, CA
Genre(s): Soul, Ragtime, Jazz
Label: Independent
Released: February 5, 2013
Social: Facebook Twitter

We were pleasantly surprised to come upon this very solid debut LP from LA based singer Dessy Di Lauro. From the opening song, you can really tell you are in for something different. This LP is a genre bending mix of styles and flavors and we really enjoyed the aural journey. Kudos to this sister and her team for breaking new ground with some old favorites!

From Bandcamp:

L.A.-based award-winning singer Dessy Di Lauro delivers a unique flavor of original music best described as ”Feathered Frohawk Futuristic Art Deco Centric Harlem Renaissance Hep Music” with a live show which incorporates classic elements from the ”Speak Easy Era” with garters, feathered head pieces and paper boy caps.

Review from SoulTracks:
The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most dynamic periods of the Roaring Twenties and Thirties, an era that exploded with the ragtime stride piano, swing bands and plenty of hot dance crazes. Those days are fondly remembered in the past few decades with the dazzling production of Ain’t Misbehavin’, a revue that still tours throughout the U.S. celebrating black musicians like Fats Waller and Cab Calloway, who were the heartbeat of the Harlem Renaissance.

Today, two musicians are recapturing those golden days in a completely different musical fashion. The first, DJ/producer Parov Stelar, created a hybrid electro/ragtime/swing soundtrack that was the backdrop for a recent TV commercial. The other, singer/songwriter Dessy Di Lauro, has a jazz background that has motivated and afforded her the skills and experience needed to visualize a modern urban perspective of the Harlem Renaissance.

In 2011, Di Lauro’s Jump ‘n’ Jivin’ Live @ the Swing House EP introduced audiences to Hep Rag, a tasty helping of R&B and hip-hop that basks in the jazzy rhythms and attitudes that made the Harlem Renaissance a lively cultural experience. This is Neo Ragtime, Di Lauro’s latest release and first full-length project, is perfectly timed to honor the Harlem Renaissance during Black History Month. Producer/musician Ric’key Pageot’s syncopated, funk-invested orchestrations are the backdrop for DiLauro’s deeply personal thoughts on integrity in relationships, love and social issues.

FULL REVIEW

 

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