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Charlie May All Star Big Band: Plays the Arrangements of Gaylord Jones
The band is peppered by excellent players - among them the very fine multi-instrumentalist Jay Thomas - - and is obviously well rehearsed. The dynamics are there, but in a subtler manner than one normally hears these days. It's nice to hear a big band aggregation which doesn't feel it has to show musical macho by constantly blaring brass sections. Charlie May takes all the sax solos in the Zoot Sims/Stan Getz mode. He also does a little vocalizing with a pleasant voice that falls somewhere between Bobby Darin and Louis Prima. He's nicely presented on "Time after Time" and "Mack the Knife". The latter also features some of the best ensemble playing on the set. Little room is provided for other members of the band to solo, although Dave Peterson's guitar gets some individual licks in on "Perdido".
Recorded before an appreciative live audience, this CD is an exhilarating without being overbearing 60 minutes of modern big band swing. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Track Listing
Rifette; Undecided; Fly Me to the Moon; Time after Time; Medley: But Beautiful, You Go to My Head, You Are too Beautiful; Jeepers Creepers; Blue Skies; Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You; Medley: Don't Worry `Bout Me, September in the Rain, Over the Rainbow; Mack the Knife; Always; Medley: The Nearness of You, I Only Have Eyes for You; Perdido; Medley: Stairway to the Stars, Makin' Believe, Easy to Remember; There Will Never Be Another You; Medley: The Man I Love, I'm Confessin'
Personnel
Charlie May/Tenor Sax/Leader/Vocals; Gaylord Jones/Arrangements; Bill Ramsay, Tracy Knoop - Alto Sax; Jim Coile, Saul Cline - Tenor Sax; Greg Metcalf - Baritone Sax; Gary Shutes, Dan Marcus, Dave Marriott, Dave Bentley - Trombone; Randy Lintott, Jay Roulston, Jay Thomas, Lance Buller - Trumpet; John Hansen - Piano; Dave Peterson - Guitar; Larry Holloway - Bass; Greg Williamson - Drums
Album information
Title: Plays the Arrangements of Gaylord Jones | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Pony Boy Records