Scott Ramminger Review: Alive and Ornery

Full Review

Songwriter/singer/saxophonist Scott Ramminger has dropped a new live double-disc release, Alive and Ornery, and yes, you should pick it up! Recorded live at various clubs over a three-day period in the Washington DC area. The album features fifteen tunes across two discs — ten of them Ramminger’s originals, including one new tune, and five covers. Ramminger, who moved to Nashville in January, returned to the DC area to make the live record. The music is firmly rooted in blues and R&B, with elements of roots rock, Americana and other musical styles, served up over a wide range of different grooves. In addition to Ramminger on vocals and tenor saxophone, Alive and Ornery features Pete Ragusa, on drums; Chris Brown on bass; Vince McCool on trumpet; Clarence “The Blues Man” Turner, David Kitchen, and Keith Grimes on guitar; Wes Lanich and Ariel Francis on keyboard. This record set sounds like what one of Ramminger’s gigs might sound like, which sounds like a whole lotta fun! That’s the short of it!

Overview

Item Reviewed

Alive and Ornery

Author

Seamus Fitzpatrick

November 27, 2017

In Short

1. I Really Love Your Smile (Live) 4:58 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
2. It’s Hard To Be Me (Live) 5:26 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
3. Advice From A Father to A Son (Live) 5:17 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
4. Funkier Than Him (Live) 7:49 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
5. That Rumba Beat (Live) 6:01 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
6. Do What Your Heart Says To (Live) 4:36 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
7. Linda Lu (Live) 5:23 (Ray Sharpe/Gregmark Music) (X:XX)
8. Nasty Habits (Live) 8:50 (T. Castro/Viper Music)
9. Hokey Pokey Blues (Live) 3:52 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
10. Rebecca, Rebecca (Live) 8:06 (Traditional/Public Domain)
11. This Town’s Seen The Last Of Me (Live) 5:25 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
12. Annandale Girl (Live) 5:24 (Ramminger/Ramminger Music - BMI)
13. Josephine (Live) 4:10 (D. Bartholomew/A. Domino, EMI)
14. ‘Lizabeth (Live) 5:29 (C. Singleton, R.M. McCoy/Angel Music)
15. Ain’t Gonna Do It (Live) 3:38 (D. Bartholomew/EMI) (X:XX)

Scott Ramminger: vocals, sax
Pete Ragusa: drums
Chris Brown: bass
Vince McCool: trumpet
Ariel Francis: keys all but 3,6, 12
Wes Lanich: keys 3,6,12
Clarence “Bluesman” Turner: guitar, all but 2,3,5,6,12
David Hitcher: guitar 2,5
Keith Grimes: guitar 3, 6, 12

Details

Released: September 1, 2017
Explicit Lyrics

Label

Arbor Lane

Length

One hour 23 minutes

Over the course of the fifteen tunes, Ramminger covers a wide range of styles and feels, but all with a bluesy attitude and a good time spirit. Ramminger’s strength is his clever songwriting, dry wit vocal delivery, and melodic saxophone playing. His songs always have a moral to the story hidden somewhere and more often than not, it has sense of humor.

Review Rating

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Album Rating

9.1

9.5

Bottom Line

Ramminger is an ingenious songwriter, with plenty of wry and lot of metaphors moving around in his lyrics, put that with hip back beats and you have a great listening experience. Recorded during live shows, we get to hear Ramminger doing his living art, and he is a fine bandleader and front man, you can hear that the audience had a blast at the shows. Ramminger’s saxophone playing is full of the blues and he is very crafty at building solos too. Everyone in the band is given their moment to showcase their wares as well. This is good fun blues, Ramminger is a master at lyrics, all the great playing is just icing on the cake!

9.1

Total Score

9.5

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