Swingin' the Benny Goodman Songbook" grew naturally out of the past four years of our playing as a trio at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. While Mark, Allan and I have worked together off and on since 1991, it was Roger Krum who gave us five sets together over every Memorial Day weekend since 2001, making us appreciate each other in a whole new way, and inadvertently giving birth to this show. I've spent the past two years listening to recordings of Benny Goodman playing clarinet in bands large and small; with his own group and as a sideman backing up some of the great ladies. And oh, those ladies! The music has thrilled and inspired me; and made me grateful all over again to be able to carry this great tradition forward, especially with these two guys as partners. In the hands of Mark Shane and Allan Vache, hot swing playing is alive and well. Just listen to the opening chorus of "After You've Gone". Hold on to your hats! There are songs I never knew Benny had played on, like "I Don't Know Why" and "Would You Like to Take a Walk", by Annette Hanshaw. Benny's first recording session with Bessie Smith was her last. His last session with Ethel Waters was on the same day as his first with Billie Holiday. Mildred Bailey's three recordings with Benny in 1934 (a session that included "Junk Man", an early hit for Frank Loesser) were the first official female vocals with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Ella Fitzgerald sang "You Turned the Tables" with the band on the Camel Caravan Radio Show while Helen Ward was "on vacation" (getting a divorce), and Martha Tilton was only 18 when she joined the group. You can just feel all the joy and excitement that made the music something special. There are so many great tunes, all associated with Benny Goodman in one way or another! So as we take our "Swingin' the Benny Goodman Songbook" show on tour, Allan, Mark and I hope that we can channel that same joy and excitement into out music, and bring it to the hearts of swing lovers today the way that Benny, Teddy and all the gals did back then. Enjoy the new CD! "These three artists have worked together as a trio for a number of years, and this shows in their rapport. There is a tough edge to Blaine's voice, as there is to Vaché's instrumental tone, and these qualities enhance the overall sound of the group by steering it away from the blandness that is these days enveloping the world of jazz singing (and playing). Smooth jazz this isn't, but it is fluid and swinging, and to a great extent this latter characteristic stems from Shane, whose skill and strength of purpose is such that the usual bass and drums support one has grown to expect in small jazz groups is never missed. Important to the proceedings is the fact that this is very much an ensemble presentation; the three taking equal weight and credit. Were comparisons to be made, the strengths of Blaine's voice are such that she is by no means shaded by her predecessors." - Bruce Crowther, Jazz Journal International "If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing Terry Blaine, Mark Shane and Allan Vaché perform Swingin' the Benny Goodman Songbook, you've missed out on one of the most delicious jazz trios to appear in a long, long time. Allan Vaché provides the meat of the musical sandwich: a hard-swinging clarinet that combines boundless energy with exquisite grace. Goodman himself would have been hard pressed to match him. Mark Shane's piano work is dazzling in its own right, but also serves as the bread (and a flavorful bread it is) that holds this triple-decker together. And it is Terry Blaine whose inimitably evocative voice and naughty-but-nice delivery provides the tangy 'special sauce' which brings out all of the sweetness and spice of the songs. Catch their performance once and you'll be back for seconds. And thirds." - John Segers, WUCF-FM, Orlando, FL Produced by Tom Desisto Music Arranged by Mark Shane, Allan Vache & Terry Blaine Executive Producers: Tom Desisto & Terry Blaine Recorded at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY Engineer: Tom Desisto Assistant Engineer: Chris Powers Mixed and Mastered at Desisto Music, Woodstock, NY by Tom Desisto Art Direction: Charles Sands Trio Photo at The Smoot Theater by Mark Shane Historical Photos provided by Duncan Schiedt Jukebox Jazz Logo: Lisa Maxwell Mark Shane is a Steinway Artists Allan Vache is a Yamaha Artist & Clinician and plays the Custom "V" model clarinet