Jim Galloway’s Wee Big Band – Blue Reverie

Description

This recording by Jim Galloway’s Wee Big Band captures the excitement of a large jazz band in action before an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. There is unity of spirit and musicianship to be found here which gives these performances a fresh and contemporary feel.

Blue Reverie is the band’s third recording. It is a long overdue documentation of the Wee Big Band’s musical growth over the years. The material on this CD was culled from close to 30 possible selections recorded in performance at Toronto’s Montreal Bistro in 2006. The band’s library now contains more than 400 outstanding charts representing many of the great bands from the Swing Era.

The band’s previous Sackville recording Kansas City Nights (SKCD2-3057) with guest pianist Jay McShann, focused on that city’s musical heritage. In Blue Reverie the spirit of Count Basie and Duke Ellington is undoubtedly felt when listening to the music but the actual tunes come from widely varied sources. The unsung heroes are the musicians who give the music such heat and vitality.