Heavy Petting Cary NC

Heavy Petting

Two Man Gentleman Band

Serious Business Records, 2008

http://www.two-man-gentlemen-band.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/21/2008

This CD crossed my desk several weeks ago, and the song titles immediately caught my attention: “William Howard Taft,” “My Baby’s Off The Market,” “On The Badminton Court,” “Dippin’ Sauce” and more are bound to arouse the imagination and attention of just about any music lover.

So here I am on vacation, soaking up the sun on a cruise ship off the coast of South America, sipping my favorite beverage, and I decide to give The Two Man Gentleman Band CD a spin. I quickly find myself listening to a vaudeville duo playing the banjo and kazoos while they croon bawdy (nice name for dirty) songs. On top of it all, I find myself somewhat amused.

The Two Man Gentleman Band are made up by Andy Bean, who plays banjo, lead kazoo, sings and writes all the songs, and Fuller Condon on double bass and tenor kazoo. The best way to describe the duo’s sound is to think of the British skiffle group sound of the 1950s. Tracks such as “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It’s Flavor on The Bed Post Overnight” and “Rock Island Line” would fit The Two Man Gentleman Band well. My other thought was that once in awhile, they sound like Leon Redbone on uppers.

Their first song, “William Howard Taft,” establishes their musical style with its clever and frenetic vocals that tell a simple story, backed primarily by banjo and kazoos on the breaks between verses.