Madison Red and The Band That Time Forgot

“Hailing from Madison, Wisconsin, the Madison Red Band has compiled a collection of 12 smooth swing tunes…singer Megan Flinn starts things off with a nimble rendition of the 1947 classic “Your Red Wagon” and follows it up with T-Bone Walker’s “Your Wig Is Gone.”  Flinn’s voice is often projected as strongly as Billie Holiday could muster, as elucidated in her version of “Billie’s Blues.”   Review of the band’s Proletarian Swing disc in Atomic Magazine #9: The Essential Guide to Retro Culture.

“On their new CD Proletarian Swing, Madison Red shows good taste in their choice of material: hoppin’ jump blues by the likes of Wynonie Harris, T-Bone Walker, Bo Diddley, and of course Louis Jordan. Megan Levy offers bold, sassy vocals and her backing trio keeps the joint jumping with unflagging swing.” Isthmus review of Proletarian Swing.

“On Saturday, July 6th at Oshkosh’s Sawdust Days several bands put on impressive performances. Particularly interesting was a new group out of Madison who brought and interesting brand of 1930s, 40s, and 50s jump and swing music to the stage. Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Louis Jordan, Tampa Red, and Wynonie Harris tunes got great treatments long with some sharp as a tack renditions of Hollywood Fats and Jimmy Rodgers tunes. Tom Radai in the Wisconsin Blues Society Newsletter.

“You know a band is good when people in the audience go out of their way to say afterwards, ‘You’re bringing them back , right?’ So it was when this 50s era jazz, jump, and swing ensemble first played Wausau this summer at a Concert on the Square. Megan Levy, aka Madison Red, fronts the musical trio with a lovely expressive voice that pays respect to the jazz giants of the 40s and 50s, the Nat King Cole Trio, Billie Holiday, and Louis Jordan.” City Pages, Wausau.

“Refreshingly hip retro, dig the grease, while honoring where it all came from, nicely done.” The Blues Hound