As soon as "Nothing Personal" begins with Johnny Martin (http://www.johnnymartin.com) introducing himself to both his audience at the time - this LP was recorded from a 2002 concert in Portland, Oregon - and the people worldwide listening to the CD, an image of a young Dean Martin quickly sprung to mind. Packed with swagger and old-school cool, Martin is one smooth talker.
Although the swing revival came and went seven years ago, many of the artists who brought the genre back really weren't authentic, compromising the classic qualities of swing with modern touches, either in the production or in the songwriting. Martin, on the other hand, sounds as if he just stepped from a time machine, traveling from a black-and-white world with martini in one hand and a broad in another.
From the moment Martin kicks the party off with "You Make Me Feel So Young," we're in his world. It's a sharp, classy affair, and Martin's engaging personality bursts through in Technicolor. Most live albums aren't intimate; too often they are contractual filler. But "Nothing Personal" has a you-are-there immediacy to it. One can feel the energy from the stage as Martin's top-notch rhythm section delivers the goods; listen more closely and you can almost smell the perfume from the ladies nearby.
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"Nothing Personal" is a gas. It provides good times from beginning to end. "Old Devil Moon" is particularly bewitching, and if you aren't hooked on Martin's crooning from the first two tunes, you'll be possessed by "Old Devil Moon."
"Get away from my tip bar, buddy," Martin slyly warns between songs. By keeping all of the dialogue instead of editing them out, you became a face in the crowd - and an extremely happy one at that.
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