Ocala Baby

Ohio's Jerry King and The Rivertown Ramblers have done it once again! With this their second release for El Toro the four-piece group has ace chops, but what makes Ocala Baby such a success is the ability of the band to capture the energy and spirit of the masters, injecting the traditional sound with the necessary authenticity to make it sound like it was indeed recorded in the '50s during Sun's heyday. Also inspired by the locally-spawned King Records family, the band is built like the prototypical Rockabilly crew -- stand-up bass, shuffling beats, soulful, twangy lead vocals, call-and-response back-ups, driving guitar and songs about broken hearts and lost loves . Singer/rhythm guitarist King has the vocal presence of a youthful, ornery late 50's Elvis, his spirited, jumping croon speckled with a barrage of inspired 'C'mons' and hiccups that slap-back with wet, echoing reverb. The group's motor mostly runs at a steady, high-octane pace and that's when they are at their most effective. The joyous performances are priceless and the lively recording techniques give the album an undeniably vintage vibe, refreshing in this age of auto-tuners and multi-layered tracking. Jerry King and the Rivertown Ramblers are the real deal as this 15 tracks penned by the band show!