Blu Swing

This Blu-ray disc includes live performances of Henry "Red" Allen, Count Basie, Roy Eldridge, Jimmy Giuffre, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk, Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and many more…

German jazz vocalist Roger Cicero interpreted the sound and spirit of the swing era for contemporary audiences, upholding the family traditions established by his father, renowned jazz pianist Eugene Cicero…

"What a Wonderful Town" was the motto of the traditional New Year's Eve Concert at the Berlin Philharmonie. The Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle along with some of the most sought-after singers in this field including Thomas Hampson, Kim Criswell, Simone Sauphanor and Karl Daymond perform Leonard Bernstein's 'Wonderful Town'. 'Wonderful Town' was the second of Bernstein's trio of 'New York' musicals begun in 1944 with 'On The Town' and completed with 1957's 'West Side Story' and is a love letter to New York in the '30's. Bernstein's score combines witty pastiches of various popular musical styles of the 30s - Conga!, Swing! - and some of his most winning ballads. The program also includes George Gershwin’s songs ‘My Man’s Gone Now’, ‘Ask Me Again’ and ‘Fascinatin’ Rhythm’.

Set in New York City in the 1930s, Café Society is a 2016 romantic comedy by director Woody Allen, his 47th film. The 15-song soundtrack features a reliable mix of big-band era tunes, with archival recordings such as "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra, as well as eight covers by contemporary outfit Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks, who specialize in early swing. The ensemble also appeared on the soundtrack for the director's 1996 film Everyone Says I Love You (and non-Allen projects such as Boardwalk Empire and The Aviator). Here, they do piano-led instrumentals ranging from a lively "The Lady Is a Tramp" to a graceful take on Rodgers & Hart's "Manhattan." Also newly recorded for the film are versions of "Out of Nowhere" and "This Can't Be Love" by pianist Conal Fowkes, also a prior soundtrack collaborator of Allen's, and a member of the Woody Allen New Orleans Jazz Band.