PARTY TIME
Party Time (2026)
PARTY TIME, the Alpha Rhythm Kings’ follow-up to their 2020 debut album Sharp Dressed Men, features 11 tracks, including four originals and several surprises.
Although the musicians are top-tier interpreters of 1930s and ’40s swing and the band is exceptionally tight, the album’s “magic sauce” lies in Dehlinger’s spot-on arrangements. He captures the essence of vintage swing and jump blues while giving each track a contemporary spark—never straying far from the heart of the music. Even modern tunes are convincingly transformed into period-authentic showpieces.
The album opens with “All Cats Join In,” written by Ray Gilbert, Eddie Sauter, and Alec Wilder and first recorded by Benny Goodman. Dehlinger’s vocal timbre evokes classic swing singers, and his high-octane scatting—reminiscent of Louis Prima, one of his major influences—is both playful and musically sharp.
One of the album’s most striking reinventions is “Party Man,” by the late pop singer Prince. Dehlinger transforms the tune into a roaring big band number that sounds as though Louis Prima might have sung it. It is an imaginative, masterful reworking that bears little resemblance to the original.
“The Copycats,” a Dehlinger original inspired by Cab Calloway, features witty lyrics such as: “Make it a point to hit a hip joint / Your arrival makes a statement / But brother beware of them creeping there / The copycats.”
The 1953 Jimmy Liggins tune “I Ain’t Drunk, I’m Just Drinking,” which Dehlinger first heard performed by Albert Collins, adds a dose of bluesy humor.
“The Evil of the Thriller,” written by Dehlinger and Rod Temperton, takes its title from Vincent Price’s iconic spoken-word rap on Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Dehlinger imagined a beatnik poet wandering Greenwich Village as he crafted the tune, which features an extended sax solo—rare for the band, which frequently crafts arrangements to suit the dance floor.
“Scatterbrain,” another Dehlinger original, includes a four-minute scat solo. “I find scatting easy because I don’t have to remember words,” he jokes.
“Twas Brillig,” credited in part to Lewis Carroll for its opening line from Jabberwocky, expands a brief musical moment from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland into a full-fledged swing number, a nod to the band’s frequent performances at Disneyland.
Dehlinger’s “That Classic Sound” is a boogie-woogie homage to timeless vintage music, opening with the lyrics, “Modern music is all well and good / I like the bass bumpin’ in my neighborhood / But when I need a touch of that timeless feel / I gotta get back to the real deal.”
“Out of the Blue,” by Dehlinger’s friends Ken Morrison and Steve Rice, leans slightly contemporary but remains rooted in the era thanks to its shout chorus.
“La Vie En Rose,” the Edith Piaf classic, becomes a danceable swing tune in Dehlinger’s hands. The album closes with
“That’s the Groovy Thing,” an early jump swing/R&B number by Earl Bostic. Dehlinger’s arrangement stays true to the original while introducing fresh instrumentation.
PARTY TIME says it all: it’s music for celebrations, good times, and anyone who likes to hit the dance floor. With his impeccable arrangements and deep command of vintage style, Dehlinger proves that this joyful, swinging, and timeless music never goes out of fashion.
Holly Cooper| Mouthpiecemusic.com
