Monthly Crush: The Two Man Gentlemen Band

If only all bands could feature a tenor kazoo.

I had the pleasure of being introduced to the greatest banjo/upright bass/kazoo duo on earth the other night: NYC’s Two Man Gentlemen Band. They played a crackerjack show at Cambridge’s historic Club Passim, and I can highly recommend the live Gentlemen experience: their look and sound is like something out of a time capsule — the kind of delightful olde-tyme thing you’d expect to hear pumping out of an old Victrola — but with just enough modern touches and double entendres in the lyrics to keep things light and fresh; their ‘tween song banter is laugh-out-loud funny; and the audience is encouraged, nay, required to participate thanks to the free kazoos distributed at the beginning of the show.

The tunes are the real star, tho: every number is uptempo, bouncy fun, and the lyrics are razor-sharp. The evening’s standouts were “William Howard Taft,” a jumpy, call-and-response ode to our heaviest president; “When Your Lips Are Playing My Kazoo,” which is about, uh, musical talent; the pleasantly uncomfortable “Heavy Petting”; and the mathematical “Prime Numbers.” Their cover of Ray Parker, Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” theme song was a great touch, too. I grabbed a couple of their discs at the end of the show, and I’m happy to report that they’re just as fun on disc as they are on stage. Their most recent release, Heavy Petting, is lively fun from beginning to end. Definitely worth a look — take a listen & hear for yourself:

Download: The Two Man Gentlemen Band, “William Howard Taft” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Two Man Gentlemen Band, “Heavy Petting” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Like what you hear? Grab Heavy Petting at Amazon MP3.