Jazz Articles about Straight Ahead

The Straight Ahead Big Band: The Third Time

by Jack Bowers
January 18, 2005

The third album by the Northern California-based Straight Ahead Big Band features more well-played swing/dance music with some jazz thrown in and eight earnest vocals by Nancy Fischer.

The eleven instrumentals are wide-ranging, from Dixie ("South Rampart Street Parade") to a cha-cha ("Cherry Pink") and waltz ("Jean"), ballad ("Trumpet Nocturne") to Basie ("Two O'Clock Jump") and even a sprinkling of Woody Herman ("Things Ain't What They Used to Be") and Stan Kenton ("Reuben's Blues"). Nancy Fischer is heard on familiar ...