Search - Duke Heitger & His Swing Band :: Rhythm Is Our Business

Duke Heitger may be immediately recognized for his work with the Squirrel Nut Zippers, but the music he's playing here has very little to do with the jump blues that has shaped much of the swing revival. Instead, the Ohio-born, New Orleans-based trumpeter is playing something very close to the "real thing"--spirited, ebullient music that's based firmly in the original swing era, with a repertoire that includes tunes by Gene Krupa, Roy Eldridge, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, and Louis Armstrong. New Orleans has long been a spawning ground and a magnet for musicians devoted to the authentic practice of early jazz, and Heitger has assembled a terrific group of locals and visitors. Rebecca Kilgore provides some authentic period vocals (the witty Loesser-McHugh song "Murder, He Said" is a delight), and Dan Barrett's elegantly blustery trombone playing shines. The two reed players--Brian Ogilvie and Tom Fischer--make good, idiomatic contributions on clarinet and saxophone, while Heitger's Armstrong-inspired trumpet effectively surmounts it all, from his brash leads to puckish mute work. The rhythm section is just as adept at relaxed, slower tempos as it is on the "hot" tunes, making music that swings happily, compulsively, and convincingly. --Stuart Broomer