Alex Pangman - They Say (1999)

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Alex Pangman - They Say (1999)

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"Canada's Sweetheart of Swing" sings the traditional hot jazz of the 1920s, 30s and 40s making the music of the past captivatingly present, "possessed by the coltish spirit of a young Mildred Bailey or Ella Fitzgerald".
Here's the DEBUT album from "Canada's Sweetheart of Swing", Alex Pangman, and her internationally assembled band of all stars. Recorded in 1999 and featuring guitar and production chops of the late Jeff Healey, this record has been brought back to print due to popular demand! Features the music of Annette Hanshaw, Ruth Etting, Maxine Sullivan, Bessie Smith and more!

Without sounding the least bit condescending Ms. Pangman manages to turn the clocks back about 70 years and make it still sound fresh. She has an intense, sincere and familiar sound but it's not derivitive and her generous breaks to allow the boys in the band to blow makes for a really fine outing."

"Even with Albums we like a lot we often play them once and then file them away for a rainy day. Well, They Say, by Alex Pangman isn't getting filed away anytime soon. This swinging pre-swing event just gets more and more enjoyable with each and every listening." Steve Sando, Mr.Lucky.com

"Tackling a long out-of-fashion genre is always tricky enough; it's even trickier when the style becomes trendy again and burns out fairly quickly. Coming so soon after the collapse of interest in bands like Squirrel Nut Zippers, vocalist Alex Pangman's decision to record an album of '20s and '30s-style swing could have been doomed, except for the fact that Pangman obviously loves the genre, and has opted for a much more traditional approach here – no pandering to the trendies. It also doesn't hurt that Pangman hooked up with Jeff Healey, who has long harbored an interest in classic jazz, and who knew a number of players around the world who would be interested in participating. As expected, the players are top-notch (and keep an ear open for Healey playing trumpet here). The real surprise is that Pangman – only 22 when the album was recorded – comes through so convincingly on this debut effort. The album is all the proof you need to know that she'll be worth watching in the future". Review by Sean Carruthers