Every one of the 17 tracks from pianist
Sheridan and his little big band refers to the REM state whilst sleeping, and the images one's brain conjures. But don't think this is sleepy time music, it's swing era-styled jazz done in the now.
Sheridan is joined by brassmen
Randy Reinhart and
Dan Barrett, reedmen
Brian Ogilvie and
Ron Hockett, guitarist
Reuben Ristrom, bassist
Phil Flanigan, drummer
Jeff Hamilton, and on five tracks vocalist
Rebecca Kilgore. Some of the more outstanding instrumental music heard here occurs on the upswung, counterpoint drenched "Dream a Little Dream of Me," and the short solo laden "When My Dreamboat Comes Home." These exemplify the band having as much fun with these tunes as possible.
Sheridan arranged the pieces, and he somewhat modifies a few, taking the lead himself on "I'll See You in My Dreams" while the punchy horns follow, adopting an
Ellington jungle stance for "Sleep, Come on and Take Me," again with Dixie type rapport with the horns, and adding lilt with clarinet and sax to "I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams." Many ensemblites get a feature, as guitarist
Ristrom does for his solid block chords and arresting solo on "Dreamsville,"
Ogilvie's tenor joining
Sheridan for the ballad "Deep in a Dream," and
Reinhart's trumpet brimming with colors on "I Had the Craziest Dream," a tune appropriate in that the recently departed singer
Helen Forrest sang it with
Harry James.
Kilgore's coy kitsch is displayed on the
Glenn Miller-esque ballad "It's the Dreamer in Me," the sweeter, easy swinging "Dream of You," the uppity "Gotta Get Some Shut-Eye," and the finale, a slow piano-vocal combo that does prompt one's slippage into induced restfulness.
Sheridan also sings a little on his
Jack Sheldon sounding take of the happy, midtempo "Dream Man." So by now did you get that all of these tunes are about dreaming? Apparently
Sheridan had to dig a little, and found many charts on the subject, it's surprising that there are so many in the American popular songbook. Though this early period jazz phenomenon was brief, there are many songs to be mined from it, and
Sheridan's exceptional crew to play them. Nighty night. ~ Michael G. Nastos