Killing Jazz hails from Madrid, Spain although you could easily mistake them for some swing and blues band out of Texas. Their two albums offer a nice blend of authentic sounding blues and swing jazz that would be welcomed in any juke joint bar I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to my share.

Their first album is the self titled Killing Jazz. Vocalist Miguel Ángel Cortés is pretty much in the spotlight throughout this set and he has the chops to deal with it. His voice has the right tone to carry the music but I especially like him on the jump blues/swing numbers like “Was You Happy?” “Fit Fat Fine” and the Texas swing “I Left My heart in Texas”. He’s a little too happy on down and dirty blues like “You Don’t Love Me”. After all…It’s the blues! But “You Don’t Love Me” also has the advantage of showing off Killing Jazz’s resident blues harpist Andi Martin nicely. Things come together the best on their cover of “Rack ‘Em Up”, which is mainly known for the recording by Jonny Lang. Killing Jazz’s version is mellower but still drenched in the blues.

Their second release is appropriately called 2nd Round. The band sounds tighter especially in the dead-on backing by drummer Marcos Molina and bassist Perico Gómez. Again it is a combination of blues and swing but with more emphasis on swing. Cortes’ vocals seem more nuanced and assured. One of the tests of a good blues group is how well they deal with non-blues material. Killing Jazz passes with flying colors on a nicely re-vamped swing blues version of the Isham Jones/Gus Kahn standard “It Had to Be You”. Also great is the very jazzy cover of Peggy Lee’s “I Don’t Know About You”. But before you think Killing Jazz may be getting a little too civilized, they end with a rousing “Tired of Talking” with killer guitar and harp solos. Both albums are ideal if you are looking for a good time blues sound.

The albums can be found at Jamendo in 192kbps MP3. Both Killing Jazz albums are free but Jamendo gives you the chance to show your appreciation by leaving a donation to the musicians. So if you like the music, support the artists!

No longer available