THE CHA CHA CLUB

BANDCAMP SOUNDCLOUD THE CHA CHA CLUB NOIR (YouTube Channel) SPOTIFY

JANE MANGINI & RICK BERLIN - longstanding friends, bandmates and laughing fools have collaborated (what took so long?)

 THE CHA CHA CLUB

 Goes like this:

 Rick had to have a tooth pulled in New Jersey, not far from the Poconos where Jane and Travis live. Time to visit. We wine and dine and float on a pontoon around their gorgeous lake. Jane and I head down a path to her Moose Lodge Studio to hear her self-created ‘calliope’ tracks for a Nickel & Dime song (CARNIVAL) at an explosive volume. (Both our ears are shot.)

 A lightbulb flash.

 ‘Jane. We should learn a bunch of my tunes and play out at least once as a duo.’

 ‘As long as I can pick the songs.’ (Lakeland drawl.)

 ‘You pick, I’ll sing.’

 We left it at that til I got home and realized we should make a record. For the band, Jane will come up with her parts and ‘flies’ them to TJ to blend into the band’s tracks. (No need to contaminate ourselves in a live studio environment.) For THE CHA CHA CLUB Jane did the same, but this time, ALL the tracks and sent ‘em to me to sing over. TA DA! An ancient drag queen smashed a bottle of nasty Brut on The Great Ship Cha Cha (actually a row boat) and we set sail.

 I sent her 29 demos to choose from - songs the band would never learn (The Cha Cha Club the only one I nudged her on and the first she recorded).

Here’s the thing: JANE PLAYS EVERYTHING! I mean it. A one-woman musical decathlon. Drums, percussion, bass, guitar, trumpet, tuba, trombone, sax, organ, stand- up bass, harmonica….you name it, she plays it. Samples that don’t sound sampled. A vocal here ‘n there. Incredible varied tracks built up for the 10 songs she chose. I wrote ‘em, but in the same way Nickel & Dime rehearses my songs, Jane translated them into her own masterful musical planetarium. (I’d use the ‘G’ word here but she’d be embarrassed.) She has faultless musical taste. Each song treated genre specific and vibe appropriate. I sang ‘em here at home via GarageBand. Jane wove what I did into the mix (although I spent some time at Bitch Kitty with TJ re-eq-uing a bit to make them, well, less GarageBandy).

THIS JUST IN FROM JANE: Our friend Eric who is Fred Schneider's ex had a party last night in Denver and he said they played cha cha the song over 12 times in a row dancing...they say it is a classic!

 I’ve edited 8 of the 10 as music videos which we’ll post gradually up on our YouTube Channel - THE CHA CHA CLUB NOIR.

Early comments:

You have a fantastic record here. 

• Brian Charles (Guitar player, Zippah Recording Studios, producer, engineer, master-er)

The first time I went to a night club in Boston I was 17, I saw Berlin Airlift with Rick and Jane. I thought I was going to be a rock star. I went home that night with my tail between my legs. I was humbled and had a new source for inspiration. Then and now.. Rick invents music he doesn’t just write songs... it’s more like a carnival, a Broadway show.. the best music does not leave you in your body as a listener.. it takes you right out into the world that artist creates.. I have no idea how you even classify this.. except to say.. I was at the Cha Cha club just now.

- Charles D’Simone

This record makes me think of a vaudeville act with instant costume changes that pull the wardrobe and schemes right off, and just keep going with another twist. Love that Havana Strip Club vibe on the opener, now that’s a buena vista!

- Adam Schatten (Documentarian)

Gosh, Rick…back to my youth, out of which I crawled! Great video, poignant tune.

- Jane Hudson

Finally had a chance to sit down and listen to cha-cha club - it's frickin amazing man.

I think you know that I've always been a bigger fan of you solo or with a few accompanists than with the full band, not that I've disliked the bands at all, but I've always liked the space around you... for me anyhow, your shows are always about your performance and with the bands, esp live, you always make sure the band gets their space.... but, again for me, it's always been at the expense of some of that Rick energy/personality, esp live.

But clearly Jane has known you and performed with you for years because the music is both forward thinking but, most importantly, fits around you so well on this.... I feel all the Rick is coming through, but all the music is too too, balanced. And both of your performances are fantastic and complimentary. (her skills are stunning of course)

Am honored to be asked and happy to contribute to live performance of this any way I can.

- Chris Barrett (trumpet, keys, man of many bands & hopefully, should there be a CHA CHA CLUB live act, he’ll be a part of it)

Rick, I love this Cha Cha club stuff. It's so fun and boisterous and weird. As always, lots of love comes through. And i just realized I can buy your whole damn discography on Bandcamp so I did! Lots of gold in there.

- Drew Joy (hip hop artist, film sound tech, brilliant man)

Cha Cha club has got a hold of me. Had a flashback and thinking back to Aida - she would have given us one of her hearty  L a u g h s

- Jonathan Hummel

Listening to "Cha-Cha Club" is the Luna-Airlift-Movie flown into the future. Great work - great energy - great companionship! BRAVO!

- Curt Naihersey (blog poster, musician, ‘zine dude)

Somehow you two need need to be stopped. Cha cha been going strong on my car stereo. Home is where my heart breaks.

- Ricky McLean (guitarist/singer in The Nickel & Dime Band)

I finally got around to listening to the Cha Cha Club CD. It was under some stuff and I kind of forgot about it. Sounds great. I love that Midway song. It is a rocker, but by the end I pissed my pants laughing.

- Jay Balerna (proprietor of The Midway Cafe)