More than any other musical genre, swing music hasn’t aged well. The straightforward lyrics, uncomplicated themes and sense of innocent playfulness and sincerity have made it somehow out of touch with the realities and pace of this age.
But it didn’t pass on completely. Neo-swing bands such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and The Brian Setzer Orchestra injected the old-fashioned genre with new blood through the rocket-like beats of Rock n Roll to introduce a new phase that expands far beyond the scope of its jazz roots.
The Riff Band, Egypt s sole swing group – and one of the most popular bands to in the capital’s alternative music scene – is essentially a tribute band covering the most famous American tunes of the genre.
It s refreshing to see a band playing a type of music no other group has attempted to tackle in this country. But unfortunately, there was nothing new in the band s fifth anniversary concert held last Tuesday at El Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek.
It takes a lot for a swing concert to capture the attention of the audience, entertain them and ultimately produce a memorable show. Music is rarely the main attraction; it s all about the performance, the energy of the musicians and the command of the lead singer.
Lead vocalist Ahmed Harfoush is one of the primary reasons why this Frank Sinatra tribute concert fails to impress.
Despite plenty of talking, walking, and excessive smiling, Harfoush fails to go beyond the average cover-band pigeonhole. He tries too hard to create a persona when he should be channeling his energy elsewhere.
He kicks off the concert with a couple of yawning covers of Wave and Moonlight in Vermont. As I found out, ballads aren t the band’s forte; and apart from a standard, yet strong, performance of Sinatra s trademark My way, every other slow number was either perfunctory (case in point is Harfoush s They can t take that away from me duet with singer Sarah Vessel) or, worse, was completely exaggerated (as in Cheek to cheek with Noha Fikry).
Speaking of Cheek to Cheek, it s inaccurate to label the concert a pure Sinatra tribute since the aforementioned song along with They Can t Take That Away From Me are tunes originally sung, and are identified with, Fred Astaire, while the closing Beyond The Sea is Bobby Darren signature song. The choice of cover is completely based on the audience’s familiarity and there isn’t a hint of experimentation in the way the band performs these numbers.
However there are a few highlights. Ain t that a kick in the head and Me and my shadow, Harfoush s duet songs with British singer called C. Caitlin, are, without a doubt, the best I heard that evening. Energetic, sassy and surprisingly exciting, the songs exhibit the joy swing music can spread when performed well. These numbers, where Caitlin totally upstages Harfoush, demonstrate the latter s lack of natural magnetism required for a competent lead.
As for Brazil and Something stupid, the harmony and beauty of both the simple, entrancing lyrics and warm, amiable melodies work against a rather mechanically calculated versions and serve to remind us that some classics are almost impossible to sabotage.
Overall, The Riff Band s Sinatra tribute was an average concert with no genuine ambition or purpose besides pleasing the group s fans. Harfoush and his musicians seldom capture the magic and spectacle of Sinatra and, frankly, the band doesn t measure up to the substantial hype surrounding them.
