Search - Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra :: Swing Fever

Haven't I heard this band on an old 78 sometime in the past?

Robert C. Topper | Richardson, Texas | 07/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a fan of the big band sound for the past thirty years or so, I was positive that someday someone would recreate that sound and introduce it to a new generation which would appreciate good music more than most of my generation seems to do. That person is Bill Elliott, who can not only assemble a fine-sounding band, but also write and arrange for it too. While I certainly enjoy the neo-swing groups, it's great to have a band emulate the dance bands of the 30's and 40's. Listening to this CD, I kept having the feeling that I should know a particular tune, only to read the liner notes to discover that it is an Elliott original sounding just like something out of my collection. Scattered about are a few cuts which really are out of the past. Is this really the first time "The Best Things Happen When You Dance" has been done since the movie? "Dickie's Weather Jive" is a hoot! A really great band and outstanding vocals, too. No wonder Elliott is in such demand in Hollywood."

All hail the new King of Swing

Robert C. Topper | 04/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, while the new swingers are re-interpreting the sound, let's pay homage to the old sound, which while not influenced by punk or ska like the new stuff, still had some energy. Bill Ellot's group is the only modern swing band which fully captures the energy and jump of those earlier groups. After listening to both Elliot discs, you realize that the Bill Elliot Orchestra could be bodily transported back to the 1930s and hold their own with Goodman, Shaw, Miller, Dorsey, and Basie. In fact, "Bill's Bounce" is one of the best swing killer-dillers ever. The trumpets even sound like Goodman's killer trumpet section of Harry James, Ziggy Elman, and Chris Griffin. It's a joy to hear, and you're going to find yourself playing it over and over. This is a treat for all ages! Thank you Bill Elliot, and please tour the midwest and do more albums!!!!!"

Possibly the Best

Robert C. Topper | 10/27/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If this band doesn't get more recognition for its superb, high energy, super-musical arrangements, instruments, and vocals, there is no justice in the new world of swing. Not only does this band stand out among the current crop of neo-swingsters, it makes the bands from the 30s and 40s seem tired and uninteresting. The Andrew Sisters have nothing on these vocal harmonies, and the wit of the lyrics is inescapably hip. This is a solemn promise: not a single track on this CD will disappoint, not even slightly. "I Want to Talk about Love" and "Dickie the Weather Man" are classics."