About the Author:
George Nowak

It’s Friday night at the Havana Club, almost midnight. The patrons are a mix of cigar aficionados, lovers of good music and consumers of cool rummy mojitos. The Havana Club is absolutely the place for high end cocktail chemistry and unique entertainment.
 
My cigar is a Montecristo No #2, the rum is Havana Club Añejo Blanco and the band is one of my favourites, none other than Sea n’ B. Not only my preferred band when they are doing their own thing at the Havana Club but also when they back me on tour in the USA, Bahamas or at special events right here at home.
 
Like any performer, I want the best and most adaptable musicians backing me. Not that I’m demanding or picky, I just don’t know from one song to the next what I’m going to play – it’s the audience’s call and this is where Sea n’ B is ideal on my stage.
 
Having said that, when they are doing their own thing at the Havana Club the results are like a perfectly mixed mojito. These musicians merge their talents to produce a sweet blend of calypso, jazz, pop and even country, but best of all, lots of their own originals, which is a rarity these days with so many computerised copy-bands.
 
Sea n’ B , made up of Barrie Quappe on lead vocal and percussion, Chuck Quappe on guitar, Mark McTaggart on drums and Bugs Wilson on bass have just released their fourth album entitled Too Hot to Handle. You don’t have to be a Chuck and Barrie fan to enjoy this 13 song CD, you just need to be an enthusiast of good music.
 
This album introduces the Quappes’ penchant for conceptual song writing and their ability to adapt to just about any style of music their faithful followers may wish to hear.
 
The title song is a good example, packed with crafty lyrics, a blend of ska and jazz, garnished with hot guitar licks and trimmed with a special appearance by Devon Edie on sax, this  self-penned tune is one of my favourites. On the song Till they run out of Beer, Chuck goes country, while Barrie will send chills up your spine with her rendition of Don’t come Crying where she overdubs her own Skeeter Davis-style pristine harmonies.
 
Mark McTaggart’s drumming and Bugs Wilson’s good taste bass keep the flow going in unison throughout the album. This CD offers up many tantalising pleasures. It’s not too laid-back, it’s not too rocky, not overly jazzy or redundantly islandy. The cover photo for this album divulges the contents - it’s simply too hot.   WH