Postmodern Jukebox and On The Town

Today I have a different kind of song for you. Covers have become an incredibly huge phenomenon in  the music world, and more and more we are seeing cover artists who are gaining just as much, and sometimes, even more coverage than other popular artists. So when it comes to cover artists, I really enjoy how each person takes their own spin of the song. And Postmodern Jukebox took one of the most popular songs of the last few years and created a cover that is astonishingly good. We all know Beyonce, we all know what her music is like, and we have heard some interesting renditions of her music. However, this is a cover unlike I have ever heard. Normally, Beyonce covers are done in that same R&B style of feature something more acoustic. But this is definitely not that. Welcome to the world of modern swing music! That is right, Postmodern Jukebox took one of the biggest songs of modern times and spun it to have that classic swing and jazz song. Who would have though that hip hop and swing would combine this way, and this well! This feat is one of the most incredible things to me. Nowadays it is very hard to find genuinely good swing and/or jazz singers. It just isn't something that is a huge market in the music industry now, which is fine. Evolution happens. But the fact that Postmodern Jukebox not only found phenomenally talented singers, but female jazz singers, well that is just spectacular. I love that! In all honesty, I really wish I had a voice that fit this genre. These are voices that are both seductive and complete powerhouses. The potential to cover two extremes like that, from one voice, well that is not something you hear everyday. This cover of Beyonce's song is absolutely perfect. When you look at jazz and swing, the cadence is completely different in comparison to what we have today. Words are elongated, notes are held longer, and there is this bounciness to the way the words sound. Beyonce on the other hand sings faster, with less pause in between, and doesn't necessarily hold out the notes. To be able to put a belting shape to this cover is very different. You would not normally imagine a song by Beyonce to be full of notes that soar and a voice so powerful that it can knock you off your feet. But this song takes a voice that strong and tames it slightly to give us that nice smoother edge. I am so glad that a band like Postmodern Jukebox exists. They do not limit themselves to a specific age in music, but like to span the older and newer forms. From swing to jazz to bluegrass, Postmodern Jukebox covers it all and nails it. This is a band that I can listen to all the time, and never get tired of. Today's instrumental song is from the movie On The Town. This was the movie that first featured this masterpiece of a song. And I for one love this song, which makes this a must see movie for me. This song is such a classic big band song. The braying brass, the pounding percussion, and triumphant trumpets make this and absolutely fantastic number. I can never get enough of this song because it has been covered and redone so many times, that each listen is a different kind of song. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!