Lil’ Esther and her Domtown String Swingers – No Time For Love
Goofin Records – Goofy 596
No Time For Love – Shake This Town / Buddy – Half Loved
A very good EP recorded by Lil’ Esther in 1998, composed of covers of songs written or popularized by Goldie Fields, Tonya Dee & The Dischords, Jackie Dee (aka Jackie DeShannon), and Eddie Cochran. The singer is backed by the Domtown String Swingers, made up of three members of The Tinstars (Tjarko Jeen on lead guitar, Pete Crowfield on double bass, and Yves Vaillant on drums), plus two members of The Barnstompers (KC Byrd on rhythm and second lead guitar and Eric van Beek on steel guitar).
Lil’ Esther, whose voice was more often blended with others when she sang in harmonies with The Bugaloos or Jess’n’Jill and the Sinners, can here be heard in all its glory, the rocking Hillbilly style they play suiting her perfectly. The musicianship is of course top-notch, whether it’s Tjarko’s Grady Martin-esque introduction on Shake This Town or the steel guitar that brings that subtle Western bop touch.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
