Album guide
Classic in Swing
- Released
- 2018
- Label
- HJO Associazione Culturale
- Forces
- Big band
- Personnel
- HJO Jazz Orchestra, directed by Sebastiano Benvenuto Ramaci
Classic in Swing brings together two sides of Sebastiano Benvenuto Ramaci’s musical life. He was principal trombonist at Catania’s Teatro Bellini, and he brought HJO together from Sicilian musicians shaped by conservatoires and local band traditions.
The band treats orchestral precision as a strength. Classical melodies move through its brass and reeds with the rhythmic lift of the swing orchestras that form the other half of HJO’s musical identity.
Hear both
The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.
The listening queues above follow the same order. The classical player omits tracks that are not based on a classical original.
Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.
Source works
The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.
- The Nutcracker SuiteTchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a — the medley runs through at least six of its movements
- Symphony No. 40Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550: I. Molto allegro
- Dark EyesNon-classical source
- Bizet Has His DayBizet: L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1 — Overture: the first theme
- Hungarian Dance No. 5Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 in F-sharp minor, WoO 1
- Blues for EliseBeethoven: Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, ‘Für Elise’
- BoleroRavel: Boléro, M. 81 — the Boléro theme rather than the complete work
- Anvil ChorusVerdi: Il trovatore, Act II: ‘Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie’ (Anvil Chorus)