Party Time Swing in Late 1956
Jacquet and a crew of swing veterans turn a studio session into a loose, joyful party.
Swing's the Thing was recorded in late 1956 and released on Clef, one of the labels Norman Granz used to document the jam-session and swing-era veterans he admired. The session brought Illinois Jacquet together with a group of players who had come up in the big band and small combo worlds: Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Jimmy Jones on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. Nobody was there to reinvent anything. The point was to get experienced players in a room and let the tunes do the work.
And that is what the record sounds like. Jacquet's tenor is big, rough-edged, and eager, and the rhythm section keeps everything bouncing. Eldridge sits well inside the groove, trading phrases with Jacquet in the way that made their earlier work together so satisfying. Ellis and Brown provide a steady lift, and Jones keeps the comping light and playful. It is a party record, and it's a good one, with the emphasis on momentum rather than ideas pushed to the edge.
For listeners new to Jacquet, this is a fine entry point to his sound in a relaxed setting, though it is less adventurous than his more ambitious sessions. Anyone who wants his most distinctive statements should look elsewhere first. But if you want to hear a veteran tenor man having a good time with peers who know exactly what to do, this is a solid, enjoyable record.
Who's playing
Ray Browndouble bass
Jimmy Jonespiano
Herb Ellisguitar
Illinois Jacquettenor saxophone
Roy Eldridgetrumpet
Jo Jonesdrums
Where next?
More by Illinois Jacquet
All 28 albums →
The musicians on this record
Cannonball Adderley and the Poll-Winners 1960
Ray Brown
plays double bass here
plays double bass here
Herb Ellis Meets Jimmy Giuffre 1959
Herb Ellis
plays guitar here
plays guitar here
The Art Tatum - Roy Eldridge - Alvin Stoller - John Simmons Quartet 1955
Roy Eldridge
plays trumpet here
plays trumpet here
Percussion and Bass 1960
Jo Jones
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
