With Thanks To My Friends

Swing Session's new cd is done, released March 18th, 2007! With Thanks to my friends features all of the great music you have come to expect from this exciting big band. We proudly showcase our two wonderful vocalists, Melanie Vail and Joey Jewell, as well as the superb playing of our featured jazz soloists. With some very creative writing by Tom Kubis on songs like Caravan and Samba De Los Me, along with the hard swinging vocal renditions of Goody Goody and I Wanna Be Around, this cd is going to be a welcome addition to your music collection. Read the liner notes below of our new cd.

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Anyone who has ever run a big band knows that it is truly a collaborative effort, a collaboration from which we often form lifelong friendships. It quickly becomes obvious we are not doing this for the money! The time and sacrifice needed to continue the legacy of big band music is not for the faint of heart. As the leader of Swing Session, I owe a debt of gratitude to many people.

First and foremost, an eternal thank you to my wife Julie and our kids, Alexandra and Cameron. They truly understand the meaning of being on the "front-line" in my continuing obsession with music, the trumpet, and my undeniable need to feed my big band habit!

Next, I have to give the lion's share of credit to the musicians of Swing Session. I would bet that if you polled every big band member across the country, you would find that while many are superb musicians, they all do it for the love of music! There really is nothing else like playing in a big band. The energy and all out fun of performing in a big band that is swinging hard is an exhilarating experience. I am fortunate to have a group of dedicated, talented people in Swing Session who share my love for this music.

Finally, there are many other people behind the scenes whose support ensures the continuation of our big band experience. Thank you to Earl and Noreen Love for giving us a home to play our music. Thanks to Tom Kubis for the incredible charts. Thank you to Mark Miller at Kalara Studios for donating your time and expertise in getting this recorded. A special thanks to to Bill Gibson (and his lovely wife Lynn!) for his caring and thorough ability to convert our basic tracks into a comprehensive, musically pleasing project. It is truly a pleasure working with a friend like Bill. In addition, I'd like to thank Ted Bowden for his support, friendship, and extra set of ears in the booth.

This CD project would not have happened without the generosity of Kim and Randy Lintott. Last spring I received an excited phone call from Randy telling me he had ten hours of studio time that was available to the band. That was the spark that got the ball rolling. Sadly, we lost Randy on December 24th, 2006. He will be missed as a fearless lead trumpet player, dedicated friend, and generous spirit. We proudly dedicate this CD, With Thanks To My Friends, to Randy and Kim Lintott.

With every year that I lead this band, I become more appreciative and grateful to the people who have helped keep Swing Session a vibrant, enjoyable musical force. Thank you, and enjoy!

Jim Kerl
March 18, 2007

 

Belle......Randy........Kim

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