- Night & Day Big Band
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Night and Day: Big-Band Studio album by Chicago Released May 23, 1995 Recorded December 1994 - January 1995 Genre Big Band Length 51:27 Label Giant Producer Bruce Fairbairn Chicago chronology Twenty 1
(1991)Night and Day: Big-Band
(1995)The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997
(1997)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1] Night and Day: Big-Band is an album by American rock band Chicago that was released in 1995. Their 22nd official album, it marked the band's abandonment of Top 40 material for a more thematic project, the focus here being classic big band and swing music.
Following the commercial failure of 1991's Twenty 1, Chicago recorded Stone of Sisyphus in 1993 and 1994—a dramatic return to the old days of artistic freedom without trying to have a hit single—which was rejected by Reprise Records. (It was eventually released by Rhino Records in 2008.) In response, Chicago left the label and started up their own imprint, Chicago Records, to re-distribute their recently-acquired Columbia Records output and, presumably, to release their future material. Despite this, their new "big band" project (in many ways, the root of Chicago's original sound) would be carried by Giant Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music, who also distributes Reprise.
Landing noted producer Bruce Fairbairn to helm the project, Chicago recorded Night & Day Big Band in late 1994/early 1995 and released it that May. Although Bruce Gaitsch played guitar on the sessions, the guitar slot would eventually be filled that year by Keith Howland, who remains Chicago's present guitarist. As a side note, Joe Perry of Aerosmith was brought in to add a solo to "Blues in the Night."
Reaction to the album was mixed. Original fans were doubtless pleased by the throwback to the band's formative years, while longtime fans of their David Foster-era were surprised by the sudden about-face.[citation needed] The album reached #90 in the US.
Contents
Track listing
- "Chicago" – 3:06
- "Caravan" – 3:23
- "Dream a Little Dream of Me" – 3:12
- "Goody Goody" – 4:05
- "Moonlight Serenade" (Glenn Miller) – 4:26
- "Night and Day" (Cole Porter) – 5:36
- "Blues in the Night" – 6:05
- "Sing, Sing, Sing" (Louis Prima) – 3:21
- "Sophisticated Lady" – 5:11
- "In the Mood" – 3:43
- "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" – 3:38
- "Take The "A" Train" – 5:36
The band
- Bill Champlin - keyboards and vocals
- Bruce Gaitsch - guitar
- Tris Imboden - drums and percussion
- Robert Lamm - keyboards and vocals
- Lee Loughnane - trumpet
- James Pankow - trombone
- Walter Parazaider - saxophone and flutes
- Jason Scheff - bass guitar and vocals
Additional personnel
- Luis Conte - percussion
- Jack Duncan - percussion
- Sal Ferreras - percussion
- Gipsy Kings - vocals
- Jade - vocals on "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
- Joe Perry - guitar
- Paul Shaffer - piano on "Dream A Little Dream of Me"
References
Categories:- Chicago (band) albums
- 1995 albums
- Albums produced by Bruce Fairbairn
- Giant Records (Warner) albums
- Big band albums
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