When I first came across 1995’s Night & Day: Big Band, the album Chicago released instead of the ill-fated Stone of Sisyphus, I immediately thought: “Oh my God, more unnecessary dreck from this formerly great band.”
Then a different thought popped into my head. “Hey, because it’s a big-band CD. Maybe the Chicago horn section is actually present and playing a prominent role.” To my delight, the trio was a major part of Night & Day. James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane were all present and accounted for, and they did a really fine job.
How appropriate that the first song on the set is “Chicago,” a great track led by singer Robert Lamm who fortunately is all over the place on this album. My former favorite band was full of renewed spirit. Lamm’s singing is no match for Frank Sinatra’s. But he gets the job done, showing off the versatility in his voice.
Even though Chicago sometimes still relied on outsiders in the studio, they no longer replaced band members. Instead, there are special guests used to enhance the song. On “Chicago,” the main group members are accompanied by a real big band led by jazz trombonist Bill Watrous. Producer Bruce Fairbairn added a trumpet solo.
Much of this album is the closest Chicago came to rediscovering the original jazz-rock roots that they completely abandoned in the late ’70s. At the same time, they managed to sound like the Bill Champlin-Jason Scheff version of the band they evolved into in the ’90s, but with a renewed edge and a sense of purpose.
This doesn’t sound like the vintage, Kath-Guercio version of Chicago, but it feels like they’re having fun for the first time in many years.
