John Parrott and Don Stiernberg
The Swing Sessions

Review by Steven Stone
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CD Stock Number: Cronyn Records 050

 

  Swing jazz played on acoustic instruments is not exactly the most popular musical genre these days. Too bad. Perhaps if more people heard this CD that situation would change. The Swing Sessions is the first release on Cronyn records. It features Don Stiernberg on mandolin, John Parrott on guitar, Jim Cox on bass, Greg Studebaker on cornet, and chuck Hedges on clarinet. What makes this release so appealing is its intimacy. Instead of big band bravado, The Swing Sessions is understated and evocative.

Producer/guitarist John Parrott and Don Stiernberg have been playing together for over twenty-five years, and it shows on this CD. You rarely hear such tight improvisational exchanges. John Parrott's ability to follow Stiernberg's melody lines with his chordal movement is positively poetic. Material ranges from standards such as "Cherokee" to unlikely tunes like "On The Street Where You Live" from Lerner and Lowe's My Fair Lady. 

Many folks, including yours truly, own old pre-war Gibson L-5's. John Parrott actually uses his L-5 for what it was intended - playing swing jazz. If you ever wanted to hear what a vintage L-5 sounds like when being used to create acoustic swing music you need to hear The Swing Sessions. To get your own copy of The Swing Sessions contact Cronyn music.

Enjoyment: 90

Sound Quality: 85