In Full Swing

Jane Monheit, Wynton Marsalis, Mark O'Connor | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 14, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00007I2KT
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,089 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stephane is Dancing, January 14, 2003

By 

M. R. Aronson "drmike82" (Blacksburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Full Swing (Audio CD)

Mark O'Connor, Jon Burr and Frank Vignola paid great tribute to Stephane Grapelli on their first CD ("Hot Swing") with stunning musicianship and great chemistry. On "In Full Swing", they up the ante with guest appearances by the great Wynton Marsalis and rising star Jane Monheit. It's easy to tell how much fun they had while recording this, and that fun translates to a very refreshing, spontaneous ease that permeates the set. Don't think for a second, though, that there's a sloppy or misplaced note to be heard anywhere on this CD. Jon and Frank are spectacular musicians and can really light a fire under Mark - listen to Limehouse Blues, where Mark shreds a handful of hairs from his bow, and then Frank absolutely rips it up with a guitar solo that would put a smile on Django's mug. Throughout the track, Jon's bass lines are churning like a freight train - if this doesn't move you, see your doctor!
Wynton's playing is as inspired and perfect as usual, and totally refreshing - the interplay between Mark and Wynton on "Tiger Rag" is like nothing I've heard before. The musicianship on this disc can certainly stand alone, but fans of Jane Monheit will definitely want this for the four standards she renders here - it's an extra treat to hear her lush voice with such wonderful backing.
To ice the cake, engineer Richard King's recording really does justice to the music - spacious and honest, it lets you hear the room and the people in it with intimacy and (on a good system) great dimension and dynamics. This is acoustic old-world swing of the highest order, laid down by some of the finest musicians on the planet with a few inspired new twists. It should bring smiles to fiddle fans, swing fans, jazz fans, guitar fans, bass fans, trumpet fans, Stephane fans, Django fans, and Jane Monheit fans the world over. Oh, and if you get a chance to see the Hot Swing Trio live, don't miss the opportunity - you'll remember it fondly for the rest of your life!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Monheit Shines, April 20, 2003

By 

William J Wytrwal (Latham, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Full Swing (Audio CD)

I always find it helpful to read the reviews from people who bought the CD and many of the earlier reviews I read on this CD were extremely helpful and right on the money. First, this is a good CD. Second, Jane Monheit is phenomenal. Third, although Mark O'Conner is a truly talented violinist, nobody can touch Stephane Grapelli for this type of music (no disrespect to O'Conner intended) .

With regard to Monheit's performance, I think it is particularly good because since this is not her album, the emphasis was on all the players; O'Conner, Monheit and Marsalis. Because of that, the cuts that feature all of these performers are really, really full. The singing is great, the trumpet is great and the violin is great -- they are all given the opportunity to shine and it is wonderful."Honeysuckle Rose" is just flat out smokin'. Truly outstanding. Monheit's vocals tend to anchor the piece but O'Conner and Marsalis do wonderful things with their parts. On Monheit's albums, she's the primary focus. The instruments are in service to her vocals. But, on this CD, she is jammin' with two obvious masters who get a chance to take the songs where they want to and these songs really fly. Similarly good are "As Time Goes By", "Fascinatin' Rhythm" and "As Time Goes By" (the latter two without Marsalis). The cuts with O'Conner and his supporting musicians are good but don't match the other collaborations. As a result, it's hard for me to think of this as just O'Conner's CD. I've seen O'Conner and his two sidemen in concert recently and they were very, very good. It was a truly great concert. But, if I had a chance to see O'Conner, Monheit and Marsalis together, wow, paradise. I would go anywhere for that show.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating bluegrass jazz mix (bluegrazz?), February 4, 2005

By 

Southern Man (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Full Swing (Audio CD)

I was not familiar with Mark O'Connor's work so it was quite a thrill when "Heading North" came roaring out of my speakers. What's wonderful about this CD is that it pays debt to Reinhardt and Grapelli while offering something new as well. There's a definite blueglass flavor to this session, creating a sort of "bluegrazz" if you will. The ensemble playing is technically excellent and, more importantly, a joy to listen to. Of the four tunes done with Jane Monheit, two are terrific, but the torch ballads "Misty" and "As Time Goes By" seem out of place here. They are fine (though not excellent) renditions that detract somewhat from the overall mood of the album. On the other hand, Wynton Marsalis' contribution to "Tiger Rag" is sensational, at times giving the tune a baroque feel. It makes one hope that Mr. Marsalis will collaborate with this trio again. Overall this is exhuberant music, beautifully played and I recommend it without hesitation.
You are most likely to enjoy this CD if you like Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grapelli, k d lang, Alison Krauss.