TIKI CULTURE

Music Lovers: Check Out “This is Vintage Now”!

This is Vintage Now

There’s a kool kat out there who is devoting his life to bringing some of the swingin’est, jumpin’est and absolutely best music of the past and present to the masses. His name is David Gasten, and he’s just produced an album of tunes from some very hep kats and kittens.

“This is Vintage Now” is a collection of ten tunes geared toward today’s retro lovers…a GREAT combination of easy swing, jump blues, Exotica, bachelor pad and hard rockin’ blues. The tunes span the decades from the 1950s through today, with some artists you probably know well (Waitiki 7, Big Jay McNeely) and others you may not (Beverly Kenney, with a sweet voice that would have made her a star to this day had she lived past 1960).

This quote from the website really says it all: “THIS IS VINTAGE NOW introduces Vintage Music as a thriving, forward-moving musical movement. The musicians on This is Vintage Now tap
into the spirit of the original Vintage period, and bring its
“anything can happen” excitement forward to today’s listeners.”

Ilana Charnelle, one of the artists on This is Vintage Now. Photo by Sarah Walker.

This is the kind of album that serves a dual purpose. For retro lovers, it’s a great combination of rarely heard old tunes and new tunes that fit that elusive retro mood. For people who don’t dig the retro scene but want to get into it, it’s got the perfect mix of tunes both old and new, just right to ease into the scene.

The artists on this album are all top notch. Gasten himself even plays one of the tunes with his band David Gasten and The City Kids, a hard-swingin’ bluesy riff entitled “The Deacon Don’t Like It”. Gasten calls the style “Heavy Jump Blues”, and indeed it is the kind of music you’d want to hear at a smokey club in Memphis, while drinking Wild Turkey neat while sitting across from your tattooed, ex-stripper girlfriend.

One of the best parts about this album, besides of course the kool music, is the website that goes along with it. Gasten obviously spent a long time researching each of these artists and the tunes before laying the tracks down, and a lot of what he’s learned has gone into info pages on his site. I had some fun going through the pages, and was surprised by some of what I learned. (For instance, being an old jazz and swing musician, I always heard the style of music he calls “jump blues” as either “jump tunes” or boogie woogie. I looked up the term, and today even bands like Louis Jordan’s Tympany 5 are referred to as “jump blues”. Learn something new every day.)

David Gasten, Producer & Artist, This is Vintage Now. Photo by Bryce Boyer.

The album, which is currently available only as instant download from the site, is only $9.77, and will include two bonus tracks for a limited time. You can listen to each of the songs on the site to make sure you dig it…but I’m sure you will. Here’s the info:

This is Vintage Now Homepage (and purchase info)

The Artists:

Beverly Kenney
Big Jay McNeely
Caro Emeral
Ilana Charnelle
The Pharohs
The Waitiki 7
David Gasten & The City Kids
Carole Creveling
Blake Jones & the Trike Shop
The Necro Tonz

So if you dig vintage tunes mixed in with some swingin’ new riffs, check out This is Vintage Now. I think you’ll flip for it, kids. I sure give it Five Coconuts!

-Tiki Chris P. reporting from the music room at Tiki Lounge Talk, the place for Tiki news, events, music and more from South Florida & beyond.

Sabina’s South Philly Macaroni Salad

I wanted to post “How to have a great Retro BBQ” this weekend but I got into some other projects…so here’s at least one recipe you can still have for tomorrow! Promise to have the BBQ post up soon!

Sabina's South Philly Macaroni Salad

When I was a  kid, every time we had a BBQ my mother made the macaroni salad and my grandmother made the potato salad. My father and my uncle cooked the burgers and dogs on the grill, my aunt usually helped by making something that you could boil in a plastic bag (her specialty was Nibblits in butter sauce) and my grandfather would play with me while everyone else worked.

Here’s the recipe for my mother’s (Sabina) macaroni salad. I’ve never had it like this anywhere else, have no idea where she came up with the recipe, but it’s my favorite…it’s easy to make, and is a hell of a lot better than the stuff you get a Publix. This recipe goes way back to at least the 1960’s…and since she probably got it from my grandmother, it likely goes back to the 50’s or earlier. So for a little taste of the past, here’s

Sabina’s South Philly Macaroni Salad

1 Medium Red Pepper, diced
1 Medium Green Pepper, diced
1 Medium (3” Diameter) Sweet Onion, diced
1/2 Large Red Onion, diced (Dice the other half to add to taste)
2 Large Carrots, diced
2-3 Large Celery Stalks, diced
About 1/4 cup Bacos (not real bacon bits)
Mayo (Hellman’s only)
Salt & Pepper
2 Lbs. Good Quality Elbo Macaroni

• Boil the Macaroni as usual, until al dente…not too soft. Drain and let cool. Don’t rinse.

• Meanwhile, dice all the vegetables into a large bowl and add the bacon bits. When the macaroni is cool, mix it into the vegetables.

• Mix in mayo one heaping tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. You want it to just coat the macaroni. Too much will ruin the salad. I use about 4-5 heaping tablespoons.

• Add about a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and mix in. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The macaroni will absorb the mayo so you ‘mayo’ need to add more. (Get it?) Add more salt and pepper to taste. You can also add more of the red chopped onion to taste. Just be careful, if the onions are too strong they will overpower the whole thing.

That’s it! Happy Memorial Day!

The Hukilau 2011 and Conversations at the Tiki Bar

Stolen Idols at The Hukilau 2010

The Hukilau 2011

Hey swingin’ kats and kittens, just a reminder that The Hukilau 2011…one of the world’s largest, swingingest and longest running Tiki parties…is happening this June 9-12 in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Tikiphiles, Retro Hipsters, Jazz Cats; whatever your scene, if you dig Tiki or anything Retro, you neeeeed to be there.

Visit The Hulilau 2011 website for the down-low, with lists of very kool entertainment, books signings, art and more.

Also…for all you very hip kids who procure, create, carve, sew, assemble, and sell Tiki/Retro-related goodies, there are still a few prime vendor spots available, so get in gear and email Christi Crowe, Hukilau sponsorship, vending and/or advertising contact at christi@flagmarketing.com.

Conversations at the Tiki Bar

It’s nice to have friends all over the world. Thanks to teh interwebs, of course. I verily enjoy rapping with the swingin’ kats and kitties that dig the same jive I do. It’s fun here, but even easier over at The Retro Tiki Lounge on Facebook. Check it out, dig the photos, watch the videos, and feel free to join the convo. Lots of fun stuff going on over there! Plus admission is free, and the bar is always open.

Murder on Tiki Island

Most of you have already heard that my new novel is in the works…Murder on Tiki Island is right up your alley, believe me. It takes place at a Tiki resort in the Florida Keys in 1956, and is a retro-style pulp noir fiction with a twist of lime. Due out April 30, it will be available in softcover and eBook format on Amazon.com See the official website or join the fan page on Facebook for details.

Later swingers,
Tiki Chris P.

Guys and Dolls, 1955 for Mod Movie Monday!

I figured we’d take a little break this week from Noir Movie Monday and get back to the colorful stuff. And dare ain’t no movie more fulla collah den

Guys and Dolls

from 1955, starring Frank Sinatra, Marlin Brando, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine.

Without a doubt this flick ranks in my all-time top favorites. The crazy characters, the oddball accents, the music, the floating craps game, the hats, the dolls…there ain’t nothin’ about this movie I don’t fully enjoy with a capital “E”, see?

This was one of the first (good) movies to use non-musical talent (Brando, Simmons) in a musical. Surrounded by actual singers (Sinatra, Blaine), the two leads pulled it off pretty well and paved the way for later musicals to star non-musical talent (all the way up to 2002’s Chicago, forcing notes out of Renne Zellweger, Cathrine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere).

The story, adapted from Damon Runyon’s original short story, is about a collection of gamblers, showgirls, Salvation Army workers and other fringe characters inhabiting the nights of New York City around 1950. Two gamblers in particular, Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) and Sky Masterson (Brando) are focused upon as Detroit tries to find a new venue for his famous floating craps game. A “chance” meeting over cheesecake has Detroit attempting to con Masterson out of some dough in the hopes of using said dough to bribe a certain garage owner to allow the dice to roll. Masterson, a sharp character, sees through this rouse and tells Nathan no dice. He does however boast to Detroit that he can take any doll, no matter how pretty, to Havana for the weekend. Nathan accepts this challenge and the game is on.

As usual, I won’t give away any of the fun stuff in case you haven’t seen the flick. Let’s just say that great music, funny lines and people who speak in the vernacular of the above said paragraph are what you will find in this charming and thoroughly swinging film.

Food & Booze: These guys are deli-style eaters from the city. Try making these stupendous roast & corned beef sandwiches, nicknamed

The Runyon Special

Pile it up in this order:

• Thick slice pumpernickle/rye swirl bread
with deli-style spicy mustard
• Lettuce
• Munster cheese
• Thick tomato slices
• Roast beef
• Thick slice pumpernickle/rye swirl bread with deli-style spicy mustard on one side,
Thousand Island dressing on the other
• Corned beef
• Sweet chopped coleslaw
• Swiss cheese
• Tomato
• Thick slice pumpernickle/rye swirl bread with Thousand Island dressing

Cut this triple-decker in half, top with green olives on toothpicks and side with chips, more slaw and kosher pickle. For dessert, cheesecake (or strudel).

The drink: Dolce de Leche, Cubana style

(According to Sky Masterson, “Dolce de Leche” means “Sweet of Milk”. It’s a kind of milk shake made with Bacardi…but just enough to act as a preservative. Here’s the modernized version of this classic cocktail)

1 oz Bacardi Silver
1/2 oz Godiva Mocha Liquor (or chocolate liquor, or even Kahluha will work)
1/2 oz sweetened condensed milk

Shake it all up in a shaker with ice and strain, preferably into a coconut. Top with shaved chocolate and a pinch of cinnamon.

Here’s the opening sequence with “Can Do”. See you at the races, kids!

-Chris “Mack the Knife” Pinto reporting from the starting gate. They’re off!