Here’s a CD which should appeal to clarinet and swing enthusiasts. As the title suggests all ten songs are familiar swing tunes. And there’s a special surprise in that Allan Vaché brings in his wife Vanessa and a third clarinetist, Erin Davis-Guiles, on a couple of numbers, “Poor Butterfly” and “Air Mail Special.”
For some who may not be familiar with Allan, he’s a member of a musical family. His father Warren Sr. was a bassist and a jazz journalist. His older brother Warren, Jr. is an active cornetist/trumpeter. He studied with David Dworkin of the Metropolitan Opera and also privately with late swing clarinetist Kenny Davern. After many years with the Jim Cullum Band—how many of us have loved the At the Riverwalk radio program on NPR—he settled in Orlando in the 1990s and performs there when not touring.
On this CD, except for the two numbers mentioned above, he performs as a quartet with pianist Mark McKee, bassist Charlie Silva, and drummer Walt Hubbard. All the numbers should be familiar to most jazz fans. I’ll enumerate them to further whet your musical appetite: “It Might As Well Be Spring,” “Time After Time,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Do Nothin’ ‘til You Hear From Me,” “You Took Advantage of Me,” “Meditation,” “Out of Nowhere,” and “There is No Greater Love.”
Thanks to Rachel Domber of Arbors Records for this wonderful recording, Allan’s fifth for this label.
Want more info or musical examples? See www.altissimo-music.com or YouTube for Allan’s music on video.
