In Full Swing: Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio

By James Reel posted May/June 2003

In Full Swing. Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio; Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; Jane Monheit, vocals. (Sony, SK 87880)

Mark O'Connor is much more than a fiddler who can get out of first position. He writes music that sits comfortably on classical programs, and ventures into territory well beyond his American fiddling roots. His latest release, In Full Swing, is a lively tribute to jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, one of O'Connor's mentors. Hearing O'Connor's Hot Swing Trio is like listening to a reincarnation of Grappelli’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France, which thrived in the 1930s with guitarist Django Reinhardt as coheadliner. O'Connor, the equally versatile guitarist Frank Vignola, and bassist Jon Burr not only swing, but they do it with impeccable technique. Add to the mix trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, easing self-effacingly into three tracks, and vocalist Jane Monheit guesting in the standards "Honeysuckle Rose," "Fascinating Rhythm," "Misty," and "As Time Goes By," and you get an album of uncommon style, smarts, and verve.

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*This article appeared in Strings May/June 2003

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