"Blue Moon, "A String of Pearls, "When You're Smiling, "A Foggy Day, "Cherokee and so on — yes, you've heard them before, presumably many times — but like fine wine, these songs improve with age, and it's always a kick to hear them again, especially when played with ardor and assurance, as they are here. Of course, every dance band from the golden era had its own singer, and SOS boasts not one but four including Brown, who takes his turn on "Candy. The others are Grady Kyle ("South of the Border, "A Nightingale Sang, "I've Got You Under My Skin ), Terry Dorsey ("Cheek to Cheek ) and Janis Compton ("Blue Moon, "Our Love Is Here to Stay, "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries, "The Man I Love, "A Foggy Day, "Orange Colored Sky ). Compton's day gig, by the way, is high school principal in Lufkin, TX.

While the charts do accommodate concise solos by trumpeters Dorsey, Kyle and Ron Ashcraft, saxophonists Mike McGowan and Lynn Cooper, trombonist Ken Barnes and others, the music is more for dancing than analysis, and thus more comparable to Miller, James and Dorsey than Basie, Herman or Kenton. In other words, an essentially sedate and pleasant stroll down memory lane.

Tracks and Personnel

Invitation

Tracks: Breakthrough; Damien's Dance; Invitation; Latin Fever; Detour Ahead; Just in the 'Newk' of Time; Dialogue; A Walk in the Park; Red Clay; One Last Time (60:45).

Personnel: Bruce Eskovitz: tenor, soprano sax, alto flute; Larry Williams, Jeff Jarvis: trumpet, flugelhorn; Billy Kerr: alto sax, flute; Andrew Lippman: trombone; Ian Robbins: guitar; Mark Balling: keyboards; Adam Cohen: acoustic, electric bass; Steve Barnes: drums; Angel Figueroa, percussion.

Salutes Stan Kenton, Vol. II

Tracks: Fearless Finlay; Kenton Montage; Lover Man; Découpage; September Song; Rhapsody in Blue; The Peanut Vendor; Send in the Clowns; The Thrill Is Gone; Over the Rainbow; Cuba Jazz; Rendezvous at Sunset; 23 Degrees North, 82 Degrees West; Here's That Rainy Day; The Big Chase; Theme (Artistry in Rhythm) (70:06).

Personnel: Don Scaletta: leader, piano; Steve Walters, Ed Gaston, Gary Listort, John Guess, David Jones: trumpet; Eddie Marshall, Jeremy Williamson, Don Mikiten, Tom Silliman, Charlie DeChant: saxophones; Pat Gullotta, Steve Smith, Sonny Tucci, Karen Zawecki, Larry Fisher: trombone; Jeff Green: bass; Barry Smith: drums; Scott Blum: percussion; Ellen Davis, the David Pryun Singers: vocals. Alternates — Chad Shoopman: trumpet; Brian Snapp: alto sax; Paul Howards: tenor sax.

An Odd Christmas

Tracks: Watch Out!; Christmas Time Is Here; Prayer (for the Common Man); Two Scandahoovian Carols; Wassailing; Winter's Muse; An Odd Christmas; Winter Wonderland; Joyful, Joyful; Drummer Boy (65:01).

Personnel: John Ahern, Tim Martin, Todd Matheson, Andrew Shellenbarger: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bob Byers: alto, soprano sax, flute; Scott Johnson: alto sax, flute; Bill Burton: tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Paul Peterson: tenor sax, flute; Dean Barker (1, 4-8, 10), Mike Krikava (2-4, 9, 11): baritone sax, bass clarinet; Mike Larson, Craig Lawless, Larry McCabe (1, 3-7, 10, 11), Chris Wiley (1, 2, 9): trombone; Ike Wagner: bass trombone; John Hyvarinen: guitar; Bruce Pedalty (1, 2): keyboards; Pete Karstad: bass; Dave Perry (1, 3, 6-10), Kevin Dammen (2, 4, 5, 11): drums; Harry Jovet (4, 9): percussion; Charmin Michelle, Tony DeMarco: vocals. Special guest soloists — Gary Berg (2): harmonica; Dan Frankowski (3): trumpet; Juan Plascencia (9): piano; Daryl Bourdreaux (11): percussion.

Live in River Grove

Tracks: Who Can I Turn To?; Darn That Dream; I Just Found Out About Love; My One and Only Love; Watch What Happens; How Do You Keep the Music Playing?; All Right, Okay, You Win; Teach Me Tonight; 'Deed I Do; The Very Thought of You; I've Got You Under My Skin; Misty; They Can't Take That Away from Me; The Way You Look Tonight; Summer's Way (Theme from Summer of '42); Almost Like Being in Love (xx:xx).

Personnel: Bill O'Connell: drums, leader; Terry Connell, Greg Duncan, Gerald Bailey, Oliver Kloezoff, R.U. Gaye: trumpet; Ken Partyka: alto, tenor sax, flute; Bob Rzeszutko: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Bob Frankich: tenor sax, flute; Jarod Bufe: tenor sax; Kurt Berg: baritone sax; John Mose, Dan Johnson, Tim Coffman, Ryan Miller, Dixie Normus: trombone; Reid Spears: keyboards, vocals; Keith Brady: bass; Leslie Beukelman: vocals.

Swinging on a Clear Day

Tracks: Disc 1 — On a Clear Day; When Your Lover Has Gone; Blue Moon; Laura; South of the Border; A String of Pearls; The Very Thought of You; Stompin' at the Savoy; Our Love Is Here to Stay; Stormy Weather; Candy; Look for the Silver Lining; Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries; Artistry for Trumpets (xx:xx). Disc 2 — How High the Moon; The Man I Love; When You're Smiling; A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; Cherry; Night Train; A Foggy Day; In This Whole Wide World; Cheek to Cheek; I've Got You Under My Skin; Cherokee; Orange-Colored Sky; In the Mood (xx:xx).

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