The 1990s Swing revival has been a mixed blessing for jazz fans; a lot of the practitioners talk the talk, walk the walk and wear the uniforms, but simply don't cut it as songwriters or performers because they rely too heavily on rock and omit any classic material from the genre. In spite of the appearance given by the cover of this CD, this is the Real McCoy.
Duke Heitger is a the son of jazz musician Ray Heitger of the Cakewalking Jazz Band in Toledo, Ohio, and the early influences have paid great dividends.
Heitger is a first rate trumpeter, leading a group that includes pianist David Boeddignhaus, clarinetist/alto saxophonist/tenor saxophonist
Tom Fischer, both of whom have worked with
Heitger in
Banu Gibson's band. Drummer Chris Tyle is also the cornetist and leader of the Silver Leaf Jazz Band; there are also several notable guests: the brilliant trombonist and arranger
Dan Barrett, the popular swing singer
Rebecca Kilgore, and reedman
Brian Ogilvie, a veteran of the
Jim Cullum Jazz Band. There's a lot of long forgotten music within this CD, including
Duke Ellington's "Swing Pan Alley,"which features
Heitger's crisp muted horn and also the maestro's "Stevedore Stomp," highlighted by Barrett's tremendous chops as well as Fischer's clarinet and Ogilvie's solid tenor sax. Swing fans will greatly enjoy this release. ~ Ken Dryden