Swing Shift
Judging by the first few tracks on Count Basie Orchestra'sSwing Shift--the rollicking "Burnin'," "Easy Go," and "Four for Basie"--the band is trying to cash in on the swing revival that sawBig Bad Voodoo Daddyplay at the 1999 Super Bowl halftime show andBrian Setzermiraculously extend his career. And why not? The CBO is, after all, the real deal, the big band that can be credited with defining the classic swing rhythm in Kansas City in the 1930's--remember, the Orchestra has been steadily touring and recording since Basie's death in 1984. But while the disc is indeed an exhilarating set of big band swing, peppered with impossibly tight horn arrangements and scorching solos from standouts like saxophonists Brad Leali and Kenny Hing and trumpeter Bobby Ojeda, it's also a lot more than that.Swing Shiftis at once a classic swing album and a thoroughly modern big-band jazz record, with 11 new compositions and three classics showcasing brand new arrangements. Of course, everything here is impeccably done in the swinging Basie style, makingSwing Shiftan ideal disc both for older fans already hooked on the Orchestra's sound and for swing newcomers curious about the music's origins.--Ezra Gale