Under a Brooklyn Moon

Here’s what All Music says about the ten-song album: J.C. Hopkins and his Biggish Band to those '90s acts and insist that Hopkins is better than most of them; stylistically, Hopkins is going for something different -- instead of mixing jump blues with early rock & roll, this 2005 release recalls the '40s in a way that is much closer to Count Basie and Duke Ellington (minus the heavy focus on instrumentals and with some early bebop influence as well). But Hopkins definitely has the irony thing down -- not only in terms of his '40s-like attire but also in terms of his often clever lyrics (which are skillfully handled by Queen Esther -- a big-voiced singer with a very bluesy, gritty take on jazz). Hopkins, however, isn't dorky about it; he and Esther show a genuine affection for different sides of '40s culture (the film noir darkness as well as the quaint romanticism). Underneath a Brooklyn Moon doesn't contain any standards; Hopkins wrote everything himself, and he shows considerable promise on this fun yet professional-sounding effort. - Alex Henderson