One of the finest recordings by one of the most popular and critically overlooked tenor saxophonists in Jazz: Illinois Jacquet. Often dismissed as a screamer and a showboater, Jacquet remains a misunderstood major voice of the tenor saxophone. The truth is Mr. Jacquet was an outgoing player and was always out to please his audience but was always musical and harmonically sophisticated. Possessing a huge, deep and sensuous tone, he could turn up the excitement meter but could also move you to tears with a heartfelt ballad. He had one foot in the swing era and one foot in Modern Jazz. It is this transitional concept that's evident on tonight's Jazz Feature. "Swing's The Thing!" puts Jacquet in the company of his peers including Roy Eldridge ("Little Jazz"), Herb Ellis on guitar, Jimmy Jones on piano, Ray brown on bass and Jo ("Papa Jo")Jones on drums. Six fine tunes plays with soul and taste by all and one of the finest albums by this great tenor saxophonist. "Swing's The Thing" Indeed Mr. Jacquet.
