Customer Reviews

Swing Is Here (Dig)

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

 

 

For swing, drive, harmonic deftness, precision of execution and sheer power of sound, I have always suspected that the greatest Big Bands were those of the late 50s-early 60s : the Basie "Atomic" band (which you can hear in the soundtracks of at least two Jerry Lewis flix); the Harry James band of c. 1957-61; the Woody Herman Herd of 1962-63 (i.e., the "Good Earth" band); and the Terry Gibbs "Dream Band" of 1959-61. In addition to this 1960 studio date, six live volumes' worth of the Dream Band have been released - and they are worth snapping up anywhere you can find them.

I first heard parts of this album in 1991, on a broadcast from a now defunct AM station out of Schenectady, NY...I had tuned into "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" and could not get over the arrangement, the swing, the drive, the power, the everything-about-it. Then the DJ came on, lamenting that this album was long gone. Needless to say, a long quest began to find this album on CD or - when it was clear there "weren't no such animal" and might never be - a playable LP copy. Later on, I found the 2nd of those 6 live Dream Band volumes - the "Sundown" tracks of November '59. At least now I had "Softly" and my other Gibbs Big Band favorite, "My Reverie." (Those live versions are equally exciting, in a different way - and taken at tempos that are perhaps even more perfect - but I digress.)

So, for those of us who cherish the better Big Bands of the late 50s-early 60s, this disc ends a long wait - and the wait was worth it, because a heckuva lot has been learned in the past 15-or-so years about HOW to transfer analogue tapes to CD. That is, had this album been digitized back in 1991 (i.e., when I first wanted it so badly), it couldn't possibly have had the "breath of life" of this new remastering. I mean, "Zowee, Daddy-O, Koo-Koo" (and all that Rat Pack-vintage lingo) : the playing; the feeling; the arrangements; the recording and the new transfer are all just KILLER. For just one example, play "The Fat Man," where the brass may be "laid back" as they insinuate themselves against the walking bass - but it's the laid-backness of a tiger about to pounce. Or, by way of an "Ultimate Compliment" : in terms of quality, insight and drive, it's as if Terry Gibbs, each arranger and every player in this band had become his own equivalent of Capitol-Era Sinatra. So it should come as no shock (but it will, anyway) that each and every track is top-drawer and no g**d*** fooling.

The sound and the energy will transport you to a time-and-place where we still had a kind of futuristic hope and sense of expectation - because we hadn't yet politically, militarily, and ecomonically shot ourselves in the foot...But it's not merely a blast of nostalgia : it's a realization that, in spite of what we've done to ourselves, there is still THIS kind of energy or "center" which can yet be retrieved - and replenished. In fact, it's an unbelievable honor to be the first to post a review, here.

In conclusion, just BUY this - for yourself, for your friends, for your enemies - buy as many legal copies as you can so it will stay "in print". And thank Terry Gibbs for being Terry Gibbs. Enough said.

This is one of the many recordings the Gibbs band made during the late 50' and early 60's. Most of the songs are the arrangements of Bill Holman. Most of these recordings were live recordings. this album is a studio date and has a peculiar yet successful stereo balance. From an arrangers view it is easy to hear all the sections interact. But the main reason for this recordings sucess is the playing of the musicians. Everyone contributes. With Mel Lewis, on drums to Joe Maini on Alto, everyone SWINGS!

Not much to add to the first reviewer's excellent write-up. Everything Terry ever recorded with his big band rates 5 stars in my book and "Swing Is Here" is no exception. The band was comprised of the cream of the L.A. jazz musicians from the late 1950s when this recording was made. The ensemble is tight, the charts swing like crazy, and the soloists are some of the all-time greats: Terry (of course), Conte Candoli, Lou Levy, Bill Perkins, Frank Rosolino etc., and the great Mel Lewis is on drums. I would like to make special mention of Joe Maini's superb lead alto work and his exciting solo on "Evil Eyes"--accompanied by shouts from the band. I was fortunate enough to see the band in person during my college days in Los Angeles--long before it was given the "Dream Band" tag---and those nights are among my greatest musical memories. Now, if somebody would only put out the band's first (Mercury) recording on CD-- "Launching A New Sound In Music"-- I would be a very happy man!

I am a retired audio engineer, now relegated to enjoying cool jazz on my awesome stereo. I was totally flabbergasted at the audio quality of this disc. For it's age, it's unbelievable. I wish engineering or mastering credit had been noted. I even took this to my local stereo emporium and the staff there were just as impressed. Musically, It's tight. The early stereo image allows for great appreciation of the arrangements.

Those who follow the big bands of the '50s, '60s, early '70s -- the post-bop remnants of the swing era -- remember the Terry Gibbs band well. The Gibbs band was only half-accurately called a swing band -- we've got Bill Holman and Bob Enevoldson and Conte Condoli and Stu Williamson and Richie Kamuca and Pete Jolly and Mel Lewis here!!

Ellington's band, Basie's band were still touring, Quincy Jones took his fine band to the plate in Paris (went 3-2 and walked!), the 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1964 LPs of Maynard Ferguson's bop band (fly, foxes!) was touring, Oliver Nelson invented a new bluesy band, and stalwart Woody Herman's continually updated versions of the Herd, and Buddy Rich ... they were all too expensive to last (and rock was the new sound, anyway). Many of us loved those bands and some of us even aspired to play in one of them, one day, if we practiced hard enough and developed our talents sufficiently, and had a little bit of luck to get the gig.

But NYC, Chicago, and LA had terrific local bands that didn't tour -- or not much -- but which stayed local. These were sort of "kicks" bands for local pro musicians who were busy with studio work, show work, and club work during most of the week. Someone should trace out the connections between LA's Terry Gibbs Dreamband, a Tuesday "dark night" band (whose arrangers included Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam and whose drummer was Mel Lewis) and NY's Village Vanguard Monday "dark night" band, whose early history featured arrangements by Gerry Mulligan, Manny Albam, and Bob Brookmeyer and drumming/leading (eventually) by Mel Lewis. (I can envision a book on this; at least, I'd buy it and read it!)

This CD features one of the all-time great bands that never toured. The majority of the numbers performed here are also found on Dreamband, Vol. 2, "The Sundown Sessions." Just great stuff. 1959. Was there ever a tighter ensemble?!

If the Gibbs band is new to and you like this CD, let me recommend the collected volumes, #1 and on, which are now all available on CD. The band recorded a limited number of charts, some of them multiple times on different recording dates. The recordings are live, not studio recordings. (It's what you would have heard at the club on a Tuesday night. Though it was a different era, this music is timeless -- my kids, 30s-ish, perk up to it with surprise and without embarrassment that dad has lost touch (again); my grandkids bounce around to it and simply sit, stunned, when the whole ensemble roars.) If you remember the Gibbs band fondly from your old LPs that you bought back in ... mumble, mumble ... well, buy a CD, slide it in your CD player, turn the amplifier up to 8 or so, sit down in your favorite listening chair, and strap on your safety belt. If you haven't heard the Gibbs band for 30 years, you will be surprised. Trust me on this! (It happened to me.) Vol. 1 in the series features new arrangements (by Brookmeyer, Albam, Marty Paich, Al Cohn, and venerable Bill Holman) of all the '30s-'40s bands's signature tunes. Lordy, Lordy!

And do notice the band's lovably goofy end-of-set walk-off number. Hah!