Bill O'Connell's Chicago Skyliners Big Band - That Toddlin' Town

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 154,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:19)  1. The Apocalypse
(4:20)  2. Tanga
(6:27)  3. Tad Boppin'
(5:23)  4. Where Is Love
(3:40)  5. Vertigo
(4:38)  6. Cabeza de Carne
(4:59)  7. Madelyn's Song
(3:04)  8. Chicago
(4:00)  9. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
(2:35) 10. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:45) 11. Celebracion
(5:07) 12. Rachael
(5:11) 13. Dexterity
(5:38) 14. Play It Again, Sammy
(3:52) 15. Walk In The Park
(2:20) 16. Dimensions In Blue

DownBeat magazine includes in its annual polls a category called TDWR (“talent deserving wider recognition”). Big bands are excluded, of course but if they weren’t, a wonderful candidate for the honor would be drummer Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band which is nearing the end of its first decade in near–obscurity but deserves much better. The band’s fifth recording (and second on Blue Birdland) encompasses more than 65 minutes of solid, straight–ahead big–band swinging that finds the Skyliners in a buoyant frame of mind from Dizzy Gillespie’s lissome “Tanga” (introduced by O’Connell’s 20–second drum passage, “The Apocalypse”) through the closing numbers, “Walk in the Park” and “Dimensions in Blue,” by one of O’Connell’s favorite composer/arrangers, Sammy Nestico. Among the many other highlights: Mike Tomaro’s bluesy “Tad Boppin’” (with splendid solos by trumpeter Jim Peterson, baritone Chip Gdalman and pianist Ron Mills); Kirk Garrison’s marvelous trumpet work on Lionel Bart’s “Where Is Love“ (so moving it brought tears to my eyes); the fiery ensemble passages that enfold Bill Horn’s dancing alto on Doug Beach’s “Vertigo”; two striking originals by Matt Harris, “Cabeza de Carne” (Meat Head) and “Madelyn’s Song” (which features another fine pianist, Bobby Schiff); Nestico’s Latin burner, “Celebracion” (with Tito Carrillo on trumpet and one of my favorite lead altos, Bob Frankich, soloing on tenor); Peterson’s shimmering trumpet on Nestico’s lovely ballad, “Rachael”; the swinging sax solis and stratospheric trumpet exchanges on Bird’s “Dexterity”; and Rick Hirsch’s Basie–like salute to Nestico, “Play It Again, Sammy” (with tasteful solos by Shiff and trumpeter Terry Connell). There are three vocals, by Byron Woods (“Chicago”), Sherrilynn Riley (“Fly Me to the Moon”) and Woods and Riley together (“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?”). Whether your knowledge of big bands is rudimentary, respectable or encyclopedic, the Chicago Skyliners will expand your awareness while giving your ears ample nourishment. ~ Jack Bowers  http://chicagoskylinersbigband.com/ubrev.html

Personnel: Bob Frankich, Bill Horn, Ken Partyka, Mike Bazan, Brian Sjoertinga, Kent Lawson, Chip Gdalman, Rick Hirsch, reeds; Russ Phillips, Dave Gross, Mark Corey, Edwin Williams, Dave Gross, trombones; Gross, bass trombone; Brad Payne, Kirk Garrison, Terry Connell, Tito Carrillo, Jim Peterson, Jared Brame, trumpets; Bobby Schiff, Ron Mills, piano; Dave Ivaz, guitar; Steve Hashimoto, John Elmquist, bass; Dave Rush, percussion; Rush, Bill O’Connell, drums; Sherrilynn Riley, Byron Woods, vocals.

That Toddlin' Town

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