Mike Davis
The New Wonders
(Turtle Bay Records)
July 3, 2026
Reviewed by Alix Cohen
The joint is jumpin’. Mike Davis and his terrific band offer a taste of the 19-teens and 1920s so authentic that it conjures black-and-white movie musicals. For a jivin’, often syncopated sound—I dare you to be still—listen to these sharp dudes play (and sing) foxtrot, swing, the Charleston, and Black Bottom.
Sass and sophistication evoke hotel and territory bands that traveled a circuit (the “territory”). Musicianship is the bee’s knees. Swell arrangements allow themes to pass and braid between sections, sometimes saucy, at other times like whack-a-mole. Vocals emerge debonair, harmonized—hooray Mike Davis! Sound is pristine—bravo engineer-master Duff Harris!
“Flamin’ Mamie” (Fred Rose/Paul Whiteman) is a flirtatious Charleston. Strong syncopation and rhythmic drive steer instrumental breaks between Davis’ tenor tongue-in-cheek vocal.
“Reaching for Someone (And Not Finding Anyone There)” (Walter Donaldson/Edgar Leslie) sashays. Crooner-style focuses on moody lyrics, emphasizing the pause and ache in lines like “reach and find nothing.” More a two-step than ballad, the number reflects its always-moving era.
Long, smooth phrasing creates a stylish Tin Pan Alley fox trot of “Persian Rug” (Gus Kahn/Neil Moret). Vocal undulates. Ersatz Arabic themes wend through its romantic melody; the trumpet shimmies.
Blues-influenced “I Need Lovin” (Henry Creamer/James P. Johnson)—“That’s what I crave/I can’t behave”—finds the alto sax shadowing the cornet as the percussion marks rhythm. Creamer wrote lyrics that blend popular song with African-American musical culture. Its staggered beat rhythm might be a Turkey Trot or One-Step. Horns embroider with flair.
An upbeat, novelty song, “Smile, Darn Ya, Smile” (Jack Meskill/Charles O’Flynn/Max Rich) conjures Busby Berkeley chorines in satin tap pants: “You know this old world is a great world after all/Things are not black as they are painted/Time for you and joy to get acquainted.” Its spirited chorus is syncopated. Instruments climb, slide, and swing as if at a playground.
Tiny Parkham’s 1929 “Jungle Crawl” might accompany a Coney Island sideshow tent of ostensibly exotic dancing girls. “Beyond this curtain awaits a world of mystery, rhythm, and untamed excitement! Experience an unforgettable spectacle of dazzling pageantry.” The tune is smoky. Veils recede and reveal the cornet; trumpet is a muted invitation. One imagines a snake charmer. It’s a Black Bottom.
Likely familiar, Richard Whiting/Neil Moret’s “She’s Funny That Way” arrives by way of Davis’ pearly tenor. Piano and vocal offer a lilting, sentimental approach. The tune sways and sighs. “The Baltimore” (Jimmy McHugh/Irving Kahal/Dan Healy) has a jaunty, rhythm-forward feel with a strong bounce designed for dancing, not listening. Another Black Bottom.
This CD is a collection of catchy, melody-driven tunes with sometimes kitschy lyrics and sometimes harmonized vocals; an authentic tribute by superb musicians. It’s fun!
The CD features Mike Davis (cornet, vocals), Ricky Alexander (clarinet, alto sax, vocals), Joe McDonough (trombone), Jared Engel (banjo), Dalton Ridenhour (piano), Jay Rattman (bass, sax, vocals), and Jay Lepley (drums, vocals).
