Swingin' Uptown by Eyal Vilner
A decade and a half ago, bandleader Eyal Vilner emigrated from his native Israel to New York and formed an ensemble aimed at keeping the flame of dance oriented big band jazz burning brightly. Swingin' Uptown, Vilner’s big band’s seventh album, does just that, offering an entertaining collection of originals and standards that pay homage to the Harlem jazz renaissance between the last century’s world wars and the dance styles that music inspired.
Vilner clearly doesn’t want the listener sitting still, and even the most rhythmically challenged might be tempted to look for a dance floor as the music swings and grooves. The instrumentals function as platforms for the players to display their chops, and Vilner gives soloists plenty of space to show off on the fun “Chicken An’ Dumplings” and Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies”. Vocalist Imani Rouselle brings velvety ache to “Tell Me Pretty Baby” and playful tension to “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t”. Swingin' Uptown never quite escapes the time it’s rooted in, but it’s an enjoyable trip to the past.
