The SWR BIG BAND featuring Fola Dada: Kings of Swing Op. 1

The first question you always have to ask when you get a band that specializes in “classic jazz” is” Why not just listen to the originals? While the material here, consisting of Swing Era beauties such as “Opus One,” “Stealin’ Apples” “A Tisket A Tasket” and “And the Angels Sing” are performed professionally, there is just something missing when something is “re-created” as opposed to “created.” Elman’s famed solo on “Angels” sounds HIGHLY gentile, and the trumpet solo the closes “Swing That Music” hints at Satchmo but lacks the frim fram sauce. Wonderfully anonymous reeds a la Glen Miller permeate “At Last” and vocalist Dada is fun as she coos on “Why Don’t You Do Right”. But, why not just get the ones these guys listened to ?

www.haenssler-classic.com

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