United We Swing: Best Of The Jazz At Lincoln Center Galas

Reviewed: 2018-03-17
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: This CD features an unparalleled array of music talent and some of the world’s top jazz musicians performing blues-inflected versions of iconic American repertoire. Their backgrounds and musical stylings are diverse. Each track features a different musician up front, but together these artists raise their voices to highlight jazz’s importance to America’s cultural heritage and to remind us that, even in divided times, music can unite us all.
If You Like: Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ma Rainey, Joe Williams
Track Review (favorites denoted by *)
1/ The Last Time (feat. Blind Boys of Alabama) (4:15) – (applause) trombone starts> slow jam> spiritual singing> fade
*2/ It takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (feat. Bob Dylan) (4:31) – piano starts> midtempo jam> midtempo song> piano/harmonica duet> midtempo song> jam> crescendo end
*3/ I’m Gonna Move to The Outskirts Of Town (feat. Ray Charles) (3:46) – horns song> slow song> piano solo> song> crescendo end
*4/ I’m Not Rough (feat. Eric Clapton) (3:03) – piano starts> strutting midtempo jam> with horns on top>
5/ Creole Love Call (feat. Audra McDonald) – piano cascades into slow bluesy jam> soaring female vocal> quick fade
6/ Milk Cow Blues (feat. Willie Nelson) (4:19) – piano/vocal starts> slow blues> guitar solo> raucous song> crescendo end
7/ I’m Gonna Find Another You (feat. John Mayer) (2:44) – piano/guitar starts> slow song> slow fade
*8/ My Baby Don’t tolerate (feat. Lyle Lovett) (2:48) – piano starts> rocking midtempo song> wailing trumpet solo> song> crescendo end
*9/ The Worst Thing (feat. Natalie Merchant) – smoky horns start> slow sultry song> guitar solo> slow song> trumpet solo> slow song> fade & crescendo end
10/ Please Baby Don’t (feat. John Legend) (4:06) - drums start> uptempo song with Latin vibe> piano solo> uptempo song> fade
11/ Mean Old Man (feat. James Taylor) (3:27) – horns start> midtempo song> trumpet solo> midtempo song> fade
12/ Are You Gonna Go My Way (feat. Lenny Kravitz) (7:36) – horns start in crescendo> guitar leads into midtempo jam> wailing horns jam> soaring guitar solo slows to slow jam & song> quick stop
*13/ Fool’s Paradise (feat. Jimmy Buffet) (4:22) – horns start> slow song> trumpet solo> rocking midtempo song> crescendo end
*14/ Empty Bed Blues (feat. Carrie Smith) (4:04) – piano starts> midtempo wailing blues with female vocal & squawking trumpet> crescendo end
15/ I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (feat. Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks) (5:35) – swinging horns start> midtempo song with female vocals> guitar solo> song> guitar solo> horns jam & swing uptempo> uptempo song> crescendo end
16/ What Have You Done? (5:04) – (applause) piano starts> midtempo song with multi-layered male vocals> fade