Mark O'Connor, Hot Swing!

(OMAC)

Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio, In Full Swing (Odyssey)

It's difficult not to point to Mark O'Connor as the Andre Previn of his generation such is his prowess with multiple musical genres, neo-classical to bluegrass to swing. Both Hot Swing! and In Full Swing feature the same trio, O'Connor accompanied by John Burr on stand-up bass and the inimitable Frank Vignola on guitar. In Full Swing features additional guest spots with Wynton Marsalis and vocalist Jane Monheit. Both are glorious tributes to Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Hot Swing!, recorded live in February 2000, features mostly O'Connor originals, Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll," and Reinhardt's classic "Minor Swing." In Full Swing has more covers ("As Time Goes By," "Tiger Rag," "Fascinatin' Rhythm," and more), reveling in the propulsive acoustic jazz pioneered by Reinhardt and Grappelli. And who, other than O'Connor and Vignola, could pay more eminent tribute to them? If there is one critical quibble, it's that O'Connor's unmistakable tone and cadence lack the preternatural fluidity of Grappelli's--but at best, it's a minor quibble. Both are remarkable discs.