Available from today on all digital platforms, the North East Ska Jazz .Orchestra’s new single is the first taste of their upcoming album, on which the big band returns to its roots, reworking an exquisite selection of jazz standards in the style of the most authentic ska-jazz
‘Whatever Lola Wants’ is an iconic tango from the Broadway musical *Damn Yankees* (1955), in which Lola, the Devil’s irresistible assistant, uses her charms to seduce the leading man, living by the motto that ‘whatever Lola wants, Lola gets’. Now a jazz standard, the North East Ska-Jazz Orchestra draws on the elegance of Sarah Vaughan to reinvent the track.
In their hands, the drama of the tango is transformed into explosive ska-jazz. Thanks to an impressive 15-piece horn section and a syncopated rhythm, the piece morphs into a festive, danceable groove, elevated by Michela Grena’s powerful voice and brass arrangements that exude pure energy.
