Well, isn't this a treat! From the beginning of "the French Swingles" 10 years was spent touring. Between tours they recorded 12 albums, moving chronologically from Bach and Handel to Telemann, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and some early 20th Century Spanish composers. In between, there was a Christmas album and one with the Modern Jazz Quartet. They were all done in that traditional jazz-classic mode: scatting to a light rhythmic background. What we have in our hands is a CD release of that Christmas album, "Noels Sans Passeport" which was released in America as "Christmastime" in 1968. This is an international work par excellence which features songs from America, France, Germany, Norway, Holland, Spain, Russia, Italy, and Denmark. As all of the Swingle's work in those early days, the tunes were scatted so no language lessons are required. There isn't much that hasn't been written already about the group, but if you are a Swingle's fan this is a must and if you've never been introduced, now is the time for they were, and are, one of the most important groups in the world of a cappella music. Joyeux Noel! |
