SKIP HELLER
Career Suicide (Dionysus)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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A retrospective that raises more questions than it answers, Career Suicide will confuse the hell out of the masses, what with all the genre hopping, but will no doubt find a devoted audience somewhere in its staggering 23 song line up. Skip Heller - guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, host - mixes it up from the get go with the delightfully cartoonish "Raymond Scott Memorial" before dabbling deep into his country, rockabilly, jazz, noir and lounge vaults. Selections from several swank records by the likes of Sammy Masters, John Gilmore and Ray Campi are augmented with Heller's own instrumental grooves, unreleased tunes, live cuts and film and cartoon tracks (my favourite). Ever the clever gent, Heller knows how to leave 'em wanting more by having Katy Moffatt closing the disc with a superb version of "Whipping Post."

© 2002 - John Sekerka