Customer Reviews

In Full Swing

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

This cd is full of subtle tributes to Django Reinhardt, Joe Venuti, and even the forgotten violenist Eddie South, O'Conner is a virtiouso fiddle player, who plays elegant society swing, that is acceptible in country clubs as well as dance halls, and this brand of gypsy swing is HOT!!! You must buy this cd if you like good HOT small group swing, Jane Monheit adds some heated Helen Ward like vocal refrains(she's a darn good girl singer), this is a gem of a cd, I keep one at my beach house and one at home.

The album Hot Swing! that this this group of musicians put out a few years ago has quickly grown into one of my favorite discs in the few months since I bought it, so I went into this album fully expecting to be just as impressed by this as I was by that one. And this album is impressive. The style is perfect, the playing is phenominal, and the rapport between these musicians is obviously incredible. The main problem with this album comes from the confinement of playing in the studio. Whereas Hot Swing! benefitted from a live setting and crowd to feed off of, this album ends up feeling slightly canned and restrained instead of the almost rapturous joy that these musicians seem to exude in a live setting. But, that is a relatively minor complaint and a problem that could scarcely have been avoided. My only other complaint is the vocal numbers, which while well performed and well fitted into the album, never quite grab the attention. Listening to O'Connor or Vignola work together or solo individually is always involving, but Monheit's vocals, which very nice, don't do as good a job carrying a song as the instrumentalists do. In all, I think the vocal numbers could have been cut and replaced by more instrumental pieces and the album would have gained a bit of continutity from it. But, like I said, the songs are well performed and don't feel out of place, they just aren't as inspired. The rest of the album, however, is full of lively, engaging, virtuosic performances from all involved. The tunes are hot, the performances are spectacular, and the guest spots from Wynton Marsalis are a must hear. It's not quite as good as Hot Swing!, but if you enjoyed that album, you will definitely enjoy this one.

This is a great album of jazz standards done by a hot trio with a vocal assist from young diva, Jane Monheit, whose voice is gorgeous. Wynton Marsalis is along for the ride on several numbers. I had the pleasure of seeing this group live in Feb. at NYC's Lincoln Center. It prompted me to make this purchase. It's a classic. I was able to compare the SACD version against the regular CD, which I bought for a friend. Both are great, but SACD really pulls out the detail.

Very simply said, "stellar work". The improvisational style of this genre of music is right down these guys' alley. Precision is second nature to these guys, too. Also, if you ever get the chance to see the "Hot Swing Trio" live, GO SEE THEM! I could sit and listen to these guys til the cows come home. Stellar (there's that word again) musicians, to say the least!

Mark O'Conner plays fiddle in the 1930's "hot" tradition of Joe Venuti and Stephanne Grapelli[or even Eddie South]. This cd is exellent all the way through, although it may not be out and out "swing", like Benny Goodman, it is hot and does swing in the "hot club" Django Reinhartd meaning of the word swing. This music is perfect for dancing[jitterbug or lindy hop]. It is also nice for a romantic dinner, it's refined swing at it's best, in gypsy style! Jane Monheit's vobals are stunning, she is to Mark O'Connor what Beryl Davis was to Django in the 30's. An essential gypsy jazz cd, for those of you who like to flip, flop & fly...

Technique will express its real value when it comes along with joyfulness or beauty. You'll find this album to be one of those that have such kinds of values, if only you try the track 3 "Tiger Rag".

Though "Mark O'Connar's Hot Swing Trio" -- Mark O'Connar (violin), Frank Vignola (acoustic guitar), Jon Burr (acoustic bass) -- has traditional style and repertoire of 1930 - 40's French jazz, so-called 'Gypsy Jazz', the two 'special guests' Wynton Marsalis (trumpet) and Mane Monheit (vocal) give this album musical extensiveness and familiarity.

With the above "Tiger Rag", you can enjoy enough Marsalis' virtuosity by that he manipulate his instrument with classical articulation and jazz idiom. If you are a trumpet player, you'll be irresistibly moved by his technique when he goes on blowing his horn with amazing speed of tonguing and when he finishes it with accurate Hi-F hit! You'll be interested in Vignora's performances on the track 9 "Limehouse Blues" and the track 10 "On Beautiful Evening", if you are a guitar player. And, I'll recommend all the tunes of this album -- if you are a violin player who love the jazz violin giant Stephane Grappelly but don't try to compare others with him.

Mark O'Connor is an unparalleled Popular/Folk/Country violin virtuoso. Whenever I'm listening to (say) Shawn Colvin, and the quiet, supportive violin in the background steps up for a 16-bar break, I can spot Mark in an instant. He shepherds the other musicians gently along with him while he soars around, over, and under the melody, then steps back with a generous musical nod to the singer.

And therein lies the problem: He is so practiced at improvising (no contradiction, there) around a melody that he seems incapable of actually just playing the melody.
When he is leading an instrumental number, this means that nobody plays the melody. Without a base to build from, the soaring and whirling has nothing to relate to, and falls somewhat flat.

It is no accident that the tracks featuring the shortly-to-be-deservedly-famous Jane Monheit are the ones that really work, here.

Please, Mark: just give us a few bars of plain, stodgy melody before taking off for parts unknown.