THE DANA LEGG STAGE BAND

SCOOPIN’ THE LOOP

Summit Records

The songs are classic.  The arrangements, outstanding!  For some years, Dana Legg has been harboring this dream of producing an album full of treasured songs that he loves.  The trombonist promised himself he would pursue a project to record these hit songs. He has finally done it! They open with, “Yo, Dude, Ya Got the Time? (Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?)

Dana Legg and his Stage Band have reinvigorated songs like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” the Bill Wither’s hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine” features Dana Legg on trombone, and Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” composition is refreshed with big band arrangements.  Jim Johnson is featured on tenor saxophone delivering the beautiful melody.

Growing up in Marshalltown, Iowa, Legg recalls riding down Main Street with his car radio blasting out some of these same tunes.  It was a fun time in his teenaged years.  A time of discovery and young love, afterschool dances, and drive-in movies. Legg captures that time and energy with his Stage Band arrangements. Tunes like “New York State of Mind” are bookmarkers in his memory bank.

The blues tune by Gordon Sumner, “Heavy Cloud, No Rain” features the vocals of Jen Zias and a trombone solo by Russ Phillips shuffles on the scene, spurred by the drums of Frank Alongi.

Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett wrote “Superstar” and Luther Vandross made it a hit record with his smooth vocals.  Now the Dana Legg Stage Band swings the tune, giving Mike Knauf the spotlight on tenor sax and also featuring Randy Karon on trumpet.

This is a big band album with universal appeal. Their rendition of “A Hard Day’s Night” sounds like it was meant to be a big band production. All songs feature a variety of fine arrangers who happily lent their charts to these talented musicians.  The music reflects a Baker’s Dozen of songs that have become a staple in America’s Pop music diet. The Dana Legg Stage Band celebrates familiar compositions with jazzy arrangements and big band bluster.

THE DANA LEGG STAGE BAND: Dana Legg, trombone/bandleader/arranger;Jen Zias, vocalist; Colin Drozdoff, piano; Chris Siebold, guitar; Mark Sorlie, bass; Frank Alongi, drums; Debbie Katz-Knowles, percussion; Ramon Deleggo, congas. SAXOPHONES: Jeff Ford & John Springbrunn, alto saxes; Jim Johnson, Michael Bazan & Mike Knauf, tenor saxes; Barry Winograd, baritone sax. TRUMPETS: Michael Stewart, Randy Karon, Terry Guynes, Ivo Braun, & Kenny Dixon. TROMBONES: Russ Phillips, Tim Coffman, Dana Solt, Brad Payne.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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