“I just want to sing. I just want to entertain. The bliss I feel when I am singing a great standard tune... the energy from the audience… what a high. The world needs more swing... and THIS is what I do.” WELL SAID.  AND WE HEAR IT IN EVERY NOTE. “I got a very late start with the Great American Songbook. I have had to work really hard to catch up. And it has been a joy. It astounds me how it remained unrealized in my life for so many years. I cannot imagine singing any other genre of music. The gratification I get from this experience astounds me.” Quite amazing what can be accomplished in just a few short years. With unrelenting focus on the genre, John-Eric Booth has performed internationally, writes and hosts the weekly one-hour musical radio program “Swinging Songbook” (more on that later), and frequently jetting out to Hollywood to perform with Pat Longo and his Hollywood Orchestra when the opportunity arises. “It's such a rush being backed by 16 swingin' players.”

The new album “Alive & Swinging!” clearly illustrates the versatility of John-Eric Booth as a singer and performer… with solid influences by many of the greats: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, Nat King Cole… and Booth also mentions Perry Como, Mel Torme, Sammy Davis, Jr., Steve Lawrence and Johnny Hartman as inspirations, just to name a few. The result of this melting pot is just pure swing… pure vocal passion... total personality… total love for the music.

“I am without a doubt influenced by Sinatra from a precision aspect. I constantly aspire to reach that level of precision as a singer, but at the same time Dean Martin influences me as a ‘personality’ and entertainer. I love the “fun” that he brought to the venue. He was interested IN his audience… he wasn’t wrapped up in BEING interesting. Know what I mean? I find that very appealing, and that best suits ME as a person… my fans seem to like that too!”

But what about the album?

The songs on “Alive & Swinging!” run the gamut. 15 TRACKS! From the old-school-crooning opener “I Love You”… then on to Booth’s appreciation of the fairer sex on the songs “Wives and Lovers” and “Girl Talk” (which delivers a taste of Booth’s soulful side) and the solidly swinging “They’ll Be Some Changes Made”, “More”, “Mack The Knife” and the album closer “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You”. Throw in the joyful lament of “I Got Plenty Of Nothin”, then finding fortune within “Pennies From Heaven”, the dusty travels on “Road To Mandalay”, the raw jazz of “When Your Lover Has Gone” and the finger-snapper “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” and you’ve got an album that is indeed enjoyed and sung along with from beginning to end!
 

"I am REALLY happy with the sound on this project. Damien Montalto did such an amazing job mixing, engineering and mastering it. He is truly a great talent and has an excellent ear. The musicians absolutely shined and the album has a nice BIG sound to it."

A Radio Show?

With a bit of a background here and there as a DJ and occasionally doing voiceover projects and production, Booth has bottled these talents into creating and hosting the 1-hour radio program “Swinging Songbook” heard around the world, allowing Booth to shine with artist commentary and injecting a touch of comedy into the hour as well.  The show also allows me to extend my humorous side out to my listeners and fans as well. It’s an hour of upbeat standards by classic artists, and new artists as well. A handful of us young performers embrace this music very passionately and we happily work hard to keep it alive. I was determined to create a vehicle that would include new performers on the show. Its one hour of pure swinging fun!”

"Do I play my own songs? Of course I do! Promoting myself was all part of my evil plan."

“I am developing a song list right now for my next album. Really special tunes that have been around a long time and have been getting neglected. I made myself a promise that I would NOT follow the rest of the pack and dip into the same collection of classics that EVERYONE is rerecording to death. We have a wealth of incredible, yet abandoned, big band vocal music just laying dormant… waiting for a new breath of life… a fresh attack. And young performers like us can turn on a whole new generation to this sound!”

“Swing and standards music are with me all day long. It’s not just what I do onstage… it’s a LIFESTYLE.”

Keep the music, the fun, the voice, the personality and the positive energy coming J-E-B!