“Caravan” is one of the songs I like off a Chicago album I don’t. A modern spin on classic big-band material, 1995’s Night & Day: Big Band is not one of my favorites. Still, there are a couple of moments that stand out to me – and “Caravan” is one of them.
This track reminds me of a movie scene where people are dressed in fancy clothes from the mid-century era. They’re dancing as Chicago is at the front of the stage, along with some extra musicians. I also imagine Robert Lamm at the front of the group, playing a keyboard in this pretend setting.
They’re playing “Caravan,” a remake of a Duke Ellington track, co-written with Irving Mills and Juan Tizol. Both songs are very good, but Chicago takes great creative leaps, really doing this song justice. It wasn’t easy. After all, there have already been more than 300 versions of “Caravan” over the years, including Johnny Mathis’ famous 1956 update.
Musically, “Caravan” is a very jazzy song with Latin flavors. The drumming on Chicago’s take is loud and crisp. The horns are powerful, and the guitars are amazing. Robert Lamm’s voice is soothing, and he hits my ears easily with every lyric. He fits this genre so perfectly. In Chicago or in solo work, he usually does this jazz fusion kind of thing and it really shows in this song how good he is within these genres.
Finally, “Caravan” is a not simply a creatively different take on the original. It’s a fun and upbeat tune that makes you want to swing or salsa dance in your room – or, at the very least, bob your head. They made this sound classic but modern.
