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It ain’t bragging if you can back it up. Which is why local R&B diva Laurel Blaydes can make all the audacious proclamations she wants. Like “Wild men dig me!,” which she intones again and again on “Wild, Wild Young Men,” the last cut on the brand-new collection of up-tempo boogie and jump blues from Blaydes and the large band she fronts, Sassparilla. By that point in the album, Blaydes has already provided listeners—wild, young, or neither—with plenty to adore. Blaydes’ boldness isn’t just crooned: It also shows in the daring selection of covers on the combo’s first CD. Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight” isn’t for the timid, but Blaydes’ cocky delivery and Mike Philips’ string-pinching lead runs keep things from getting anywhere near clichéd. On Dec. 3, Sassparilla with Laurel Blaydes will feature selections from its eponymous debut at a record-release party the band is throwing for itself at the Music City Roadhouse in Georgetown. The cover will be $3. The recording can be mail-ordered through Rasputin Records, 3622 Fessenden St. NW, Washington, DC 20008.