CD Description
After a gap of two and a half decades, Dan Hicks returned with a revamped Hot Licks for this wonderful set. The only original Hot Lick on board is violinist Sid Page, but Hicks was always the key player, so BEATIN' THE HEAT is of a piece with the earlier works. An impressive handful of special guests (Rickie Lee Jones, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler) appear, singing duets on a number of songs.
With all the bracing interplay on display, it's obvious the guests arethere because they love this music. The album is rich with Hicks' classic jazzy charm and sardonic wit. Producers Gary Hoey and Dave Kaplan adopt some modernist approaches, with judiciously employed contemporary studio effects, such as on the remake of the Hicks classic "I Scare Myself". This is a welcome return and essential title for any fan of Dan Hicks,as well as anyone new to his music.