One of my all time favorite Nashville bands was Badabing Badaboom. They were a kinda of a strange bird... a swing band with a definite Nashville flavor, but led by a hardcore Jersey guy. They had the typical swing band rhythm section (guitar, bass and drums), but in addition to trumpet they also had a viola player. And having three vocalists allowed them to do amazing harmonies. But the most unique thing about them was that they only did original songs. And great ones too.
I think it was December of 1998 when they were doing a residency at a lounge called Manhattan's. They had half a dozen original Christmas tunes that they would pepper in throughout their sets, so it made for a fun holiday outing. I was there with a couple of friends, just chilling and enjoying a few cocktails, when Rebecca Sayre took her turn at the mic and starting singing "I'm Your Present." Immediately we all froze. As the song went on, we slowly sank lower and lower into our chairs. It was hands down one of the sultriest performances I've ever heard. You practically felt dirty just listening to it. When it was over, we turned to each other and all we could say was "Wow."
Badabing Badaboom - "I'm Your Present" (mp3) from A Hip Little Christmas
UPDATE: I don't host this song anymore, but you can check it out here.
The recording is great, but hearing it live was an absolutely transcendent experience. A couple of years later, one of my friends who was there that night and I saw them at another bar in August. During their last set they asked if their were any requests. My friend drunkenly shouted "I'M YOUR PRESENT!!!" To our surprise, Eddie Mugavero counted off the song, and they played it. Even though it was probably 80 degrees outside, if you closed your eyes you could see snow falling.
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