Four Piece Suit "Matinee Idylls" 1999

It's a rockin' eclectic set of instrumentals (Well, okay, there is one vocal,) that's at home in a smoky lounge with over-dressed patrons and over-dressed martinis. It just as much at home with half the room rocking while watching the other half swing. The Boston Globe (1/21/99) said, "No Label for these Suits! Four Piece Suit does a swinging instrumental hybrid of surf. lounge, rock and jazz. The sound is suave and playful with non-stop banter between Dave Sholl's sax and the three remaining pieces: Milt Reder's guitar, Dean Cassell's bass, and Lorne Entriss's drums. Four Piece Suit in the flesh--er, suits--whips up a nice camp-infected rumpus, and on disc it doesn't disappoint. It's new CD, "Matinee Idyls," is mostly composed of originals, mingled with covers such as a surfy take on Patti Page's 'Old Cape Cod' and 'It came from Ipanema,' a woozy relation to the Ipanema song." - amazonThe members of Four Piece Suit are tight the way only a band that has played together a long time can be. The members have played various styles of music with each other in various configurations, including several years as the major part of 'The Savages' with Barrence Whitfield as vocalist. It was from an off the road accident on a snow-plagued European tour (with a driver who didn't know how to drive in snow,) that 'In Pain in Paris' - a hit from the group's first CD - was inspired.
The band is based in Boston but has toured nationally. Both this CD and their first effort got substantial airplay on college and triple A radio. They have shared the stage with everyone from the Voodoo Daddies to Barenaked Ladies to Hootie & the Blowfish.
All of the members participate in writing their original pieces. 'We all try to listen to as much weird stuff as we can," says Sholl. When we write, somebody will do a sketch of something and bring it to the band and let the band work on it. We really like people like Mancini and John Barry and more wacky instrumental guys like Martin Denny and even Spike Jones." Lead guitar Milton Reder adds, "I bet no other band ever recorded an old Finnish folk song and Old Cape Cod on the same disc." "Yada yada yada," interjects bass player Dean Cassell, "tell 'em to listen to the music, you can't believe liner notes." "How come we always have to mention smoky bars and martinis?" Lorne Entriss the drummer asks, "it's not like our music is a commercial for cigars or booze." - amazonBand Members:

Dean Cassell, bass / Lorne Entriss, drums/percussion / Milton Reder, guitar / Dave Sholl, saxes

trax:

01 Dave's Happy Place 02 Bombasteroid 03 Go Ahead and Burn 04 Sloppy Shopping 05 Sneaky 06 El Niño 07 Yeah Yeah 08 Romeoville 09 Elevator Shaft 10 Cara 11 Medley_ Granada_Blue Pavillion 12 Blow-Air-O 13 Regrettable 14 Bender 15 Roxotica 16 Old Cape Cod 17 It Came From Ipanema