A Hot Night in Paris (1999)


 
1. Sussuido 2. That's All 3. Invisible Touch 4. Hold On My Heart 5. Chips & Salsa 6. I Don't Care Anymore 7. Milestones 8. Against All Odds 9. Pick Up the Pieces 10.Los Endos Suite

 

Truth be told, I'm not a fan of big band and/or Jazz music. I don't know the difference between a Gene Krupa, a Miles Davis, a Woody Hermann and/or a Buddy Rich. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't feel the need to listen to it often, so I can't really make fair distinctions when it comes to comparing a certain CD, or artist of the CD, to another. Therefore, it's a bit weird having to "review" an album like this.

I will say that, for what it's worth, it sounds pretty good. Great - actually in places. For a novice like me, it sounds like what I would think a Big Band record should sound like. Lot's of up-tempo movements, a lot of brass, and no vocals whatsoever. Yes, I'm familiar with most of the song titles on here (8 of 10 are from Phil's solo career or Genesis), but most of the songs are not immediately recognizable because the arrangements are so different than the originals. Many of the tracks (Hold on My Heart and That's All come to mind), I'm not sure I would recognize had I not had a song listing in front of me. Of course, no one buying this would really want, nor should they expect, the songs to "sound" like themselves. This is Phil Collins doing something that he probably always wanted to do, and was maybe just now allowed the opportunity to do so.

There's even some familiar names from Phil's solo career here. Guitarest Daryl Stuermer and Keyboardist Brad Cole are here - as well as several of the horn players that Phil utilized for his solo tours. Although it's only at 10 songs, the CD clocks in at over 70 minutes, but none of the songs never seem to feel long. This is a CD I rarely listen to, simply because I prefer other genres. But if you're a fan of Phil Collins and you don't have any big band CDs in your collection, this would be a nice one to add. It's simply fun to listen to, even if you don't first recognize the tracks you're already familiar with.

Go back to the main page
Go To Next Review