''Bedlam Ballroom'' is a studio album by the swing revival band

Squirrel Nut Zippers Squirrel Nut Zippers is an American swing and jazz band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by Jimbo Mathus, James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Tom Maxwell (singer), Tom Maxwell (vocals and guitar), ...

, released in 2000. It followed several major personnel changes. The album reflects a stylistic shift, with the band incorporating a broader ranges of styles, instrumentation, and production approaches. The band broke up after the release of the album, eventually reuniting in 2007. The album peaked at No. 195 on the ''Billboard'' 200.

Critical reception

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'' wrote that the band have "abandoned their adherence to '30s recording techniques, and though a bit of the charm is lost, thankfully these Zippers ain't slick." ''

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'' wrote that the album finds SNZ "nearly as eclectic as ever, but more generic too." ''

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'' thought that the album "can easily be considered their best for, if nothing else, they reclaim a time when music was unsure of itself, an era when Louis Armstrong had given up on the music of his youth to build a wider audience through pop numbers and show tunes."

Track listing

All songs written by

Jimbo Mathus James H. Mathis Jr. (born August 1967), known as Jimbo Mathus, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and member of the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers. Early life and career He was born in Oxford, Mississippi to Jimmy Mathis and ...

except where noted. # "Bedbugs" – 3:12 # "Baby Wants a Diamond Ring" – 3:25 # "Do What?" – 2:42 # "Bent Out of Shape" – 2:47 # "Stop Drop and Roll" – 2:58 # "Hush" – 4:12 # "It All Depends" – 3:47 # "Bedlam Ballroom" (Stacy Guess) – 2:15 # "Just This Side of Blue" – 3:08 # "Don't Fix It" – 3:33 # "Missing Link" – 3:21 # "Bedlam Reprise" – :21 # "Do It This a Way" – 2:33

Details

* "Bedlam Ballroom" first appeared on the band's 1997 EP ''

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'' as a live recording. * Mathus sings lead vocals on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, and 13; Katharine Whalen sings lead on tracks 2, 4, 6, 7, and 9. * Most editions of the CD case have a

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cover. The cover artwork was created by artist

Michael Doret Michael Nicholas Doret (born July 19, 1946) is an American designer, lettering artist, and illustrator based in Los Angeles. He has created logos, album covers, magazine covers, and art for various brands in media, advertising, and sports, in ...

Personnel

– vocals, guitar, bass guitar, Chamberlin, ukulele, banjo * Katharine Whalen – vocals, banjo, baritone ukulele * Tim Smith – alto, baritone, and tenor saxophones, flute, background vocals * Reese Gray – piano, tack piano, Hammond B3 organ * David Wright – piano, Wurlitzer, trombone, background vocals * Je Widenhouse – trumpet * Stuart Cole – bass guitar, background vocals * Chris Phillips – drums, percussion, gong Additional musicians *

Andrew Bird Andrew Wegman Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American indie rock multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Since 1996, he has released 16 studio albums, as well as several live albums and EPs, spanning various genres including swing musi ...

– violin * Mike Napolitano – guitar * George Rossi – bass * Gabo Tomasini – congas * Giustino Riccio – timbales * Greg Humphreys – background vocals

References

2000 albums Squirrel Nut Zippers albums {{2000s-jazz-album-stub