John Sheridan and his Dream Band: Get Rhythm in Your Feet

If you like swing music, you ought to check out John Sheridan and his Dream Band. Get Rhythm in Your Feet is the third recording from this spirited octet that can boast of excellent soloists, elegant arrangements, and a chemistry that could only have been cooked up in a very hip kitchen. Vocalist Becky Kilgore has charm, technique, and a deft sense of rhythm that is fluidly in synch with the band. John Sheridan is a gifted pianist, arranger, and bandleader; the stylistic cohesiveness of the Dream Band has much to do with his range of talents. This band has an instantly recognizable sound that suggests jazz history is in the making.

Notable soloists on Get Rhythm In Your Feet include Randy Reinhart on cornet, Brian Ogilvie on tenor sax, and Ron Hockett on clarinet. Reinhart plays with a brash confidence that is truly masterful in either a swing or New Orleans mode; he can be depended on to turn up the burners. Ogilvie seems to be growing with each Dream Band recording, as his long, thoughtful solo on the ballad “A Handful of Stars” attests. On all three Dream Band recordings, Ron Hockett, on clarinet, has been a consistently intelligent and subtle soloist with a beautiful tone. Russ Phillips does a good job subbing for the trombone wizard Dan Barrett, and the rhythm section as usual is superb. On this recording the quartet of pianist John Sheridan, guitarist Reuben Ristrom, bassist Phil Flanigan, and drummer Ed Metz, Jr. keeps the music alert, lively, and flexible. Metz ably subs for the regular drummer, the accomplished Jeff Hamilton.

Vocalist Becky Kilgore joined the band on its second, classic recording ( Dream Band, Make Me Dream Some More ) and is featured on half of the sixteen tracks on this recording. She is emotionally attuned to the band, with an upbeat, off-handed ease to her phrasing. The instrumentalists accompany her with vigor and grace; do check out Sheridan’s piano comping throughout. In short, this is an extraordinary band that has all its pieces in place, a band that truly deserves attentive and repeated listening. Highly recommended.