The first of two discs recorded at a gig at Kimball's East in Emeryville, CA -- the other being Kings of Swing -- the Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco/Herb Ellis sextet appoints itself chief keepers of the Benny Goodman Sextet flame, but not in a slavish way. Rather, the sextet re-interprets the Goodman classics "Flying Home, "Rose Room," "Don't Be That Way," "Avalon," etc. -- in a contemporary swing style, with thoroughly modern drumming by Butch Miles setting the pace. Ellis seems to adopt the most authentic voice from the past ...
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The first of two discs recorded at a gig at Kimball's East in Emeryville, CA -- the other being Kings of Swing -- the Terry Gibbs/Buddy DeFranco/Herb Ellis sextet appoints itself chief keepers of the Benny Goodman Sextet flame, but not in a slavish way. Rather, the sextet re-interprets the Goodman classics "Flying Home, "Rose Room," "Don't Be That Way," "Avalon," etc. -- in a contemporary swing style, with thoroughly modern drumming by Butch Miles setting the pace. Ellis seems to adopt the most authentic voice from the past, taking Charlie Christian's role often quite literally (which actually fits well within this group since Christian was the most harmonically advanced player in the sextet). DeFranco and Gibbs are, as always, marvelous sparring partners, always pushing each other in their own styles, just like Goodman/Hampton or Goodman/Norvo. A genuine survivor of the old days, Milt Hinton, is on bass, and the nimble Larry Novak occupies the piano chair. Although the true authentic small-combo swing style of the period, as heard on recordings, was apparently a lost art in the '90s, this is nouvelle swing at just about its finest. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi
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