The “Dark Side” of Swing in Union Square

Lee Presson performing in 2007 (photograph by Skibz777, from Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license)

Early yesterday evening Union Square Live presented a group called Lee Presson and the Nails (LPN). The event page for this offering described the genre as “Dark Prince of Swing.” The text itself included the sentence, “The John Waters of Jazz!” Given that my attitude toward swing is relatively mild, dampened by my enthusiasm for bebop, I could not resist the opportunity to see how LPN would have its own way with the tradition.

I was not disappointed. As the above photograph may suggest, Presson’s stage presence is mock-sinister, embellished by manic outbursts. His group is one of those “little big bands” with one-to-a-part playing by alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, and drums.  When he was not singing or indulging in some of the most hyperactive prancing I have ever encountered, Presson played two electronic instruments, one a keyboard and the other a marimba-like surface allowing for a variety of sonorities (as well as cueing any number of sound effects).

When one considers Presson’s demeanor and style, however, one is unlikely to think very much about the likes of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, or, for that matter, Count Basie. The real inspiration behind LPN is Spike Jones, giving me a tinge of regret that no one seems to know much about Jones any more. Presson clearly does, since one of his selections was Jones’ “Hotcha Cornia,” probably the most irreverent account of the Russian song “Dark Eyes” (Óči čjórnye) ever recorded (and that includes Carl Stalling’s multiple treatments of the song for Warner Brothers cartoons).

For the most part, however, the selections come from the swing tradition, each one given its own uniquely loopy presentation by Presson and his crew. The tunes were consistently recognizable; and the amusement came (consistently) from the rhetoric. However, when I go to these Union Square events, I have come to expect that, if the music is danceable, then there were be a generous number of dancers in front of the bandstand. The first time I saw these people, one of them explained that they are not so much a systematic organization as folks all showing up in the same place at the same time for the same reason. Their skill at traditional swing moves provided a sharp contrast to Presson’s own self-choreography; but it was easy enough to enjoy both styles at the same time.

Meanwhile, I still have a fondness for the few Jones CDs in my collection; and they are as funny as ever.