Moonglow
SwingSoniq
Independent
1998
11 tracks
SwingSoniq is a surprise. With the swing revival has come a plethora of groups aping the music of the Thirties through Fifties. Whether old-time jazz, big-band swing, or early bluesy rock and roll, the music swings but it's often very mechanical. It's the difference between hearing a note for note cover of a song and hearing a new interpretation of the same song. SwingSonic doesn't simply repeat but reincarnates the old music. If today's swing revival is making a big noise, then this is a Soniq boom.
There's a groove to the songs on this release that suggests these guys are playing the music not because it's the popular trend but because they truly enjoy playing it. The music has an organic feel to it, a comfortable feel that lets the listener just slip into it like an old bathrobe and relax. It's quiet music ideal for a romantic evening of candlelight and wine, yet it's also bright and danceable.
Greg Leskiw, the singer, is a joy to hear. Without sounding at all like he is deliberately aping the great Satchmo, Leskiw's raw vocals bring back the sound and spirit of that jazz great. An impressionable listener might begin to feel that Louis Armstrong had been reborn on the banks of Winnipeg's Red River. It's not just the raw edginess of Leskiw's voice either. Leskiw manages to get across that feeling that maybe behind the words the singer is enjoying a private joke. He sings with a quiet smile that tells the listener he's having fun performing this music.
Daniel Koulack has some nice licks on the bass that at times carry the music forward with drive and at other times just lay a soft bed for the two guitars to lay down in as Leskiw's vocals caresses them all. The arrangements are ideal for this music, a tasteful blend of guitar and bass that doesn't ever overwhelm the vocals.
There's a lot to be said for the production values on this release. I often hear an emptiness in digital productions. No matter how much is going on in the music, there is a sense that the music is being played in a vacuum, out of context, outside time and space. It's just too clean. Moonglow is as clean as any digital production I've heard, yet it has a fullness, a sense of room that gives it that live feel so necessary to acoustic music like this. Producer Norm Lussier is to be commended.
It's also worth noting the authentic look and feel of the several songs written by Greg Leskiw for this release. Without reading the credits, a listener would have a hard time telling the old songs from the new.
Usually, I can select one or two songs from a release that especially impress [or not]. Moonglow is an exception. This release is so uniformly performed and produced that to choose one song as exceptional would do a disservice to the others. This is a release that deserves a place in any collection of contemporary Canadian jazz.
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