Dubbed "The Prince of Pops" by the Chicago Tribune, Erich Kunzel's Cincinnati Pops Orchestra has been nominated for 5 Grammies under his direction, winning one in 1998, and we have to say that this is some of the best, most spirited big-band swing we've ever heard. Of special interest to us, of course, are the vocals, which are supplied by one of our favorite jazz groups, The Manhattan Transfer, former (and founding) member of the MT, 9-time Grammy winner Janis Siegel, and inventive singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli. There are 14 all accompanied (in fact, 7 of them are completely instrumental) tunes here, and not surprisingly our favorites are "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie," "Sugar" (That Sugar Baby of Mine), "Skyliner," and "Clouds" (adapted from "Nuages,") featuring the MT; "Straighten Up and Fly Right" and "Avalon" with John Pizzarelli; and "I'll Be Seeing You," with Janis Siegel. As we would place the Swing Era at or near the top of all musical eras, we thought "Got Swing" was a treat, and every tune gave us the urge to get up and dance! |
