NEW!
The entire recorded output of this ground-breaking band are now available -- To listen to the sound samples, click here!
Gary Lawrence and his Sizzling Syncopators with Tiny Tim www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N_jlF-sRqk
MUSIC OF THE BOARDWALK EMPIRE ERA
Featuring
Authentic Big-Band Sounds of the Roaring 20s by Gary Lawrence And His Sizzling Syncopators
Red Hot Dixieland Jazz
Ragtime Piano Artistry of Gary Lawrence
The Incomparable Crooning of Frank Scafuri
Sing-Alongs, and Audience Participation
The popular television show Boardwalk Empire has brought back the great big-band sounds and vintage jazz of the Roaring 20s.
There are no finer purveyors of this great music than Gary Lawrence and his Sizzling Syncopators. A fresh and vibrant approach takes the music out of its historical perspective which relegates the music to nostalgia and brings it into the 21st century!
The Syncopators, using the authentic Jazz Age lineup of trumpets, saxes, tuba, trombone, piano, banjo and drums use new arrangements by Lawrence which bring out a fuller flavor of the period than direct copies. Says Gary: “If you want to hear the old arrangements, you might as well buy the original records.”
While the video features the entire 11-piece ensemble, The Sizzling Syncopators are available in smaller formats (3 to 7 pieces) to accommodate small budgets!
One need look no further for this group’s identity than their repertoire. Included are traditional arrangements of contemporary favorites like Van McCoy’s “The Hustle,” Barry White’s “You’re the First, the last, My Everything” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” According to John S. Wilson of the New York Times, these songs have “the same period validity as “Doin’ the Racoon” or “When the Moon Shines on Coral Gables,” two other songs in the band’s vocabulary.
The Lawrence band also features early jazz classics, such as Duke Ellington’s “The Mooche” and Fletcher Henderson’s “Sugarfoot Stomp,” that evoke the old style without sounding dated.
Where other musicians might be ill at ease performing Hot Jazz or Dixieland Jazz, the Syncopators have found a home in this idiom. One particular example is their vocalist, Frank Scafuri. Without using mannerisms, he sounds natural in the context of songs that would baffle most contemporary singers.
The Syncopators are a unique blend of fun and musical taste. Mr. Lawrence maintains “musical styles were better blended in the 20s. You could find good jazz and comedy in the same number.”
One listen is worth a thousand words. The band’s MP3s are available on Itunes and other musical download services.
Find out why the Syncopators are the brightest and freshest attraction on the entertainment scene today.