First Listen: Jimmy Lee of Fat Larry’s Band wants to “Zoom”
(June 20, 2019) While Philadelphia-based funk’n’soul outfit Fat Larry’s Band never quite reached household name status in the US, the lively collective established quite a track record in the UK, where its romantic midtempo swayer “Zoom” rocketed to #2 in 1982—and was even featured in a popular British sitcom of the time.
Three decades after the group’s split following the untimely death of founder Larry James, Fat Larry’s trombonist and alto saxophonist Jimmy Lee is paying homage to the band’s signature tune. While the new recording doesn’t stray too far from the musical essence of the original, it’s hard to recapture the effortlessly celestial flow of the latter’s live arrangement with canned instrumentation and a rhythmic pattern which tries unnecessarily to make the song more of a dancer than a mid-paced ballad. While Lee offers a soulful tone and authentic style, it doesn’t compare to Fredrick Campbell’s impeccably dreamy delivery. Take a First Listen to Jimmy’s new version of “Zoom” below and let us know your thoughts!
Jimmy Lee – “Zoom”
