Big Coconut

Downeast Record and CD Review Newsletter #3, January 30, 1999
Ranking: A=Awesome (A++) 12 Tracks ranked from (A+) to (A+++) Calypso and Island Music.

Product Description
Big Coconut is very upbeat island music with cleverly written lyrics and wonderful production. Very island flavored and song themes of sailing, the tropics, islands, beaches and fun. Track 1, Big Coconut, gives a bit of insight into singer/songwriter Gene Mitchell's musical background and how he came to combine country, blues, rock and roll, calypso and motown into a delightful style all his own. The end result, if you like the laid back tropical lifestyle, you are a Big Coconut. Features wonderful steel drum playing by Gary Gibson. A fun sing-a-long song. Track 2, The Sun And The Wind, reagge song about the opening day of boating season with all the boats, picnics, swimming and food on the grill. Track 3, How About Sunday, is a wonderful upbeat jazz love song and features Rick Miller on trumpet and Gary on marimba. Track 4, Jamaican Me Crazy, is very upbeat and fun and describes a day on the beach in Jamaica, rum, sun, reagge music and a pretty girl. Full of wonderful vocals, guitar and steel drums. A must for lovers of tropical music. Track 5, Holding You Close To Me, is a medium tempo smooth jazz love song and features Gary on marimba. Track 6, Two Hearts On One Breeze, slows the CD down a bit for a beautiful love ballad and features an soft but incredible steel drum solo at the end. Track 7, Out Past The Reef, is an upbeat love song about sailing and counting the stars on deck with a glass of wine to set the mood. Very delightful song featuring steel drums and several guitar arrangements. Track 8, Tide I Ride, is nautical themed with a bit of Floyd Cramer piano style played by Gary. Track 9, Swimming Pool, parents, teachers and kids love this song. Upbeat song about dragging Dad out of bed to watch the kids swim and about the responsibilities we have as parents. Marimba by Gary and harmonica by Gene highlight this song along with wonderful special lyrics. Track 10, Caledonia, is upbeat and the lyrics tell the story of a day on the French island of Caledonia in the South Pacific. Street dancing and romance highlight the lyrics along with wonderful steel drum arrangements by Gary. Track 11, Yesterday's Tomorrow Is Today, in a fast Mexican style with Rick blazing on the trumpet, gets them on the dance floor everytime. Track 12, Mind On The Islands, is the perfect song to end the CD. Dreams of a much needed vacation and romance in the Florida Keys will make this song a staple of the Key West scene and vacationers to the Keys.

Big Coconut,Gene Mitchell and The Big Coconut Band,Gene Mitchell and the Big Coconut Band,Gene Mitchell sings of beaches, romance, and endless vacations, all with a tropical jazzy flavor.

Average customer rating: Inspiring

Best of the Big Apple Circus, Vol. 1 Big Apple Circus Band , Linda Hudes , and Rik Albani Manufacturer: Chesky/Coconut Bay ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music ASIN: B000005TT5 Release Date: 1997-01-01

Tracks:

1. Travelling Machine
2. Gordoon's Dance
3. It's A Raid Rag
4. Air Power 1
5. Air Power 2
6. Flight #3/Dream
7. Central Park March
8. Silk Road 1
9. Silk Road 2
10. Godfather Part IV
11. Russia
12. Where Angels Fly
13. Big Apple Boogie
14. Africa
15. Fais Do Do
16. Ironmen
17. Grandma's Attic
18. Cakewalk
19. Old Samba
20. New Samba
21. Blue Tango

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring.......2004-12-01

This music is amazing! It has a range and depth far beyond anything ever written for circus. It is not limited to the amorphous style associated with other new productions but rather expresses the high level of performance and cultural diversity found within each show.
The music is the work of composer Linda Hudes and it is a showcase for her talent.
The album opens strongly with the Coplandesque "Traveling Machine". It is sweeping and majestic. There are other classical influences like "Air Power 2" (see Gustav Holst) and "Ironman" (thank you Mozart). Linda's greatest strength lies in her ability to capture a feeling. There is the reverie of "Flight#3/Dream", the pathos of "Godfather Part IV", and the seductively romantic "Blue Tango".
Hudes' musical reach is global. She crosses oceans and continents and returns with the essence of world beat in "Silk Road 1 and 2", "Africa", and "Old and New Samba" She can also speak the patois of New Orleans in songs like "Fais Do Do", "Gordoon's Dance", and "Cakewalk".
This album is appropriately titled "Best Of" because each composition is a highlight. Check out "Central Park March"--a tour de force in composition and performance.

Average customer rating: Buy This One Now!

Big Coconut Manufacturer: Gene Mitchell and the Big Coconut Band ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Caribbean & Cuba | Compilations | International | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music Caribbean & Cuba | International | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004U2JJ Release Date: 1998-08-15

Tracks:

1. Big Coconut
2. The Sun And The Wind
3. How About Sunday
4. Jamaican Me Crazy
5. Holding You Close To Me
6. Two Hearts On One Breeze
7. Out Past The Reef
8. Tide I Ride
9. Swimming Pool
10. Caledonia
11. Yesterday's Tomorrow Is Today
12. Mind On The Islands

Album Description

Big Coconut is very upbeat island music with cleverly written lyrics and wonderful production. Very island flavored and song themes of sailing, the tropics, islands, beaches and fun. Track 1, Big Coconut, gives a bit of insight into singer/songwriter Gene Mitchell's musical background and how he came to combine country, blues, rock and roll, calypso and motown into a delightful style all his own. The end result, if you like the laid back tropical lifestyle, you are a Big Coconut. Features wonderful steel drum playing by Gary Gibson. A fun sing-a-long song. Track 2, The Sun And The Wind, reagge song about the opening day of boating season with all the boats, picnics, swimming and food on the grill. Track 3, How About Sunday, is a wonderful upbeat jazz love song and features Rick Miller on trumpet and Gary on marimba. Track 4, Jamaican Me Crazy, is very upbeat and fun and describes a day on the beach in Jamaica, rum, sun, reagge music and a pretty girl. Full of wonderful vocals, guitar and steel drums. A must for lovers of tropical music. Track 5, Holding You Close To Me, is a medium tempo smooth jazz love song and features Gary on marimba. Track 6, Two Hearts On One Breeze, slows the CD down a bit for a beautiful love ballad and features an soft but incredible steel drum solo at the end. Track 7, Out Past The Reef, is an upbeat love song about sailing and counting the stars on deck with a glass of wine to set the mood. Very delightful song featuring steel drums and several guitar arrangements. Track 8, Tide I Ride, is nautical themed with a bit of Floyd Cramer piano style played by Gary. Track 9, Swimming Pool, parents, teachers and kids love this song. Upbeat song about dragging Dad out of bed to watch the kids swim and about the responsibilities we have as parents. Marimba by Gary and harmonica by Gene highlight this song along with wonderful special lyrics. Track 10, Caledonia, is upbeat and the lyrics tell the story of a day on the French island of Caledonia in the South Pacific. Street dancing and romance highlight the lyrics along with wonderful steel drum arrangements by Gary. Track 11, Yesterday's Tomorrow Is Today, in a fast Mexican style with Rick blazing on the trumpet, gets them on the dance floor everytime. Track 12, Mind On The Islands, is the perfect song to end the CD. Dreams of a much needed vacation and romance in the Florida Keys will make this song a staple of the Key West scene and vacationers to the Keys.

Customer Reviews:

Buy This One Now!.......2004-12-12

I had the pleasure of hearing this CD back into 1998, shortly after it was distributed. Anyone who has heard this album can understand why I've listened to it frequently since then. "Yesterday's Tomorrow is Today" is a personal favorite of mine. Gene shows his upbeat personality and positive outlook on life throughout these songs and makes those characteristics highly contagious to his audience.

Average customer rating: Album full of talent

Tropical Jazz Manufacturer: Sailor Boy Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00004U2JI Release Date: 2000-03-25

Tracks:

1. By The Beach
2. Da Way She Move (tropical version)
3. Summer's Back
4. Tropical Express
5. Love In The Early Stages
6. Cold Seattle Night
7. I'm Right Here
8. Sweetest Smile
9. Sailing Back Home To You
10. Going Back To Georgia
11. The Way She Moves (jazz version)
12. Tribal Revival
13. Conga Line

Album Description

Tropical Jazz is the third CD by singer/songwriter Gene Mitchell who is known for writing tropical music with nautical themes. This time Gene has written and produced a collection of songs for his Big Coconut Band and features Amy Lee (guitarist for Jimmy Buffett) and John Raymond (guitarist for Kenny G). This combination of writing and great talent defines a new genre ofmusic, tropical jazz. However, Gene never lets each song on his CDs sound like the previous song. Though the collection lives up to its title, Tropical Jazz, the songs are varied in themes and styles to make every song a new experience. Track 1, By The Beach, is a blues/jazz tune featuring great guitar leads by John, great sax by Amy, and even steel drums by Gary Gibson. Fun lyrics that gives us some insight into Gene's background. Track 2, Da Way She Move (the tropical version) is a soft jazzy reagge love song and features John on classical guitar. Track 3, Summer's back, is jazzy swing and is upbeat and welcomes summer back with clever lyrics and great guitar riffs by John. Track 4, Tropical Express, fast upbeat jazz song full of steel drums and bright saxophone. The lyrics describe the adventures of a road trip down the A-1-A in a convertable to Key West and a party of Duval street. Very fun descriptive lyrics, a Parrot Head's dream song. Track 5, Love In The Early Stages, upbeat jazz love song with a great story line and great jazz guitar playing by John. Track 6, Cold Seattle Night, proves that singer/songwriters are influenced by their surroundings. Slow bluesy jazz with great guitar and sax and, as with all Gene's lyrics, paints a great picture of the cold rainy nights in Seattle. Track 7, I'm Right Here, picks the tempo up again with an upbeat reagge song featuring steel drums and sax. Again, great lyrics that paint a picture all can see and relate to. Track 8, Sweetest Smile, ah..smooth jazz at its best, wonderful love song with powerful lyrics and great sax playing by Amy throughout. Track 9, Sailing Back Home To You, is a soft love song with classical guitar and steel drums and descriptive lyrics of someone longing for their love back home. (This one is bound to become a favorite of anyone who has sailed the seas). Track 10, Going Back To Georgia, is upbeat and has a bit of Alman Brothers while John's guitar playing adds a touch of jazz. (All Georgians, pay attention to this one). Great lyrics dscribe life in the south and the longing to return home. Track 11, The Way She Moves, jazz version, is a different version of Track 2 and is upbeat and has the flavor of George Benson. John's guitar playing and the vocal arrangements make this a wonderful upbeat jazz love song. Track 12, Tribal Revival, is a very cleverly written upbeat calypso song and features Amy on sax and Gary on steel drums. The song tells the story of a missionary long ago who, when the natives start dancing around the bonfire, writes back home that there was a tribal revival, but we soon discover it was only a conga line. Track 13, Conga Line, is an instrumental that is actually a part of Tribal Revival, here we hear the percussion of the natives, followed by great sax playing and a finale of percussion, bass riffs, guitars, steel drums and sax whaling as the "conga line" progresses. A definite party and dance song.

Customer Reviews:

Album full of talent.......2004-12-12

This album is a masterpiece. Gene Mitchell collaborates with some vastly talented musicians on this excellent CD. A must have for fans of both tropical music and jazz.

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