Casey
MacGill staying true to great, original swing sound
Winda Benedetti: Nightwatch
Spokane.Net
Friday, February 12, 1999
Casey MacGill was doing the swing thing before most of today's neo-swing kings were even
potty trained.
That was back in the late
'60s, back when MacGill was playing that jump-jive for crowds on the streets of L.A.
By the 1980s he was laying
down that swing sound in clubs and in movie stars' homes -- rubbing shoulders with the
likes of Burt Reynolds and Fred Astaire.
Carey Grant once dined to
MacGill's retro stylings. And in 1982, MacGill and his band at the time made a cameo
appearance in the Jessica Lang feature film "Francis.''
They played "It Don't
Mean A Thing If It Aint' Got That Swing.''
Still, swing was no big
thing back then. The heyday of the '30s and '40s was long gone and dancing with a partner
was passe.
No matter. MacGill remained
fascinated by the old-school sound.
"When I first heard
it, it was like recognizing something I always knew. It was like discovering a part of
myself.''
These days MacGill's
beloved swing music is on MTV, it's on the top of the charts, it's on the radio and it's
in the clubs.
And MacGill, who now lives
in Spokane, is still at it. He and his band -- The Spirits of Rhythm -- perform weekly at
the Bayou Brewery and have just released a superb swing CD of their own called
"Jump.''
"Jump'' includes seven
original songs penned by MacGill as well as three oldies but goodies. They range from the
jumpin' jive of "Rhythm'' to the slow-burnin' "Love Ain't Nothin' But The
Blues.'' "Get It (In The Groove)'' is the kind of song to fill the floor with
jitterbuggin' rug-cutters while "It Happened One Night'' is a torchy rhumba to
close-dance to.
While bands like the Cherry
Poppin' Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy add a dose of modern-day punk rock to the
old-time boogie, MacGill and crew remain much truer to the old-school swing sound. Indeed,
this is swing music done with true class and with the know-how that only 30 years of
playing the stuff can deliver.
"I've been a student
of this music for so long I bring an authentic feel to it,'' MacGill explains. His
knowledge of swing prompted one of his friends to call him "a walking encyclopedia of
that music.''
And throughout
"Jump,'' the musicianship is exceptional. While saxophonist Marc Sorger, drummer Mark
"Tyrone'' Stephens, bassist Wendle Smith and vocal diva Miss Lee Lee make up the core
of The Spirits of Rhythm, the CD is a showcase for a myriad of the Inland Northwest's top
players.
More than 20 performers --
folks like percussionist Rick Westrick, guitar guru Joe Brasch, trumpeter Andy Plamondon
and sax man Chuck Swanson, all add their immense talents to "Jump.''
MacGill, whose smooth
vocals run through the album, adds cornet, piano and ukulele.
"I've just never
gotten tired of swing music,'' says MacGill. "It has a lot to offer me.''
As for the nation-wide
swing craze, it remains to be seen whether it turns out to be nothing more than a fad like
so many music phases before it. But MacGill, who will keep playing it either way -- has
higher hopes.
"I hope it's going to
be an awakening for people in this country, recognizing that they can enjoy this music
year in and year out.''
MacGill and The Spirits of
Rhythm perform every Thursday at the Bayou Brewery starting at 9 p.m. Swing dance lessons
are offered at 8 p.m. Cover charge is $5.
