Album Notes

Chicago Live - Chuck Hedges Swingtet Clarinet: Chuck Hedges Guitar: Dave Sullivan Vibes: Duane Thamm Piano: Steve Behr Drums: Charlie Braugham Bass: John Bany Chuck Hedges explained that he wanted this CD to give full credit and exposure to each member of the band and to give the listener a personal experience of how the music sounds in a live concert, undiluted by the technical guru's best intentions. For this he assembled a group of the best veteran Chicago area musicians, all of whom know each other's playing intuitively, and then personally supervised the sound mixing for the desired result. So hitch up your chair on-stage, look out at the live audience and, listen carefully to what it really sounds like to be in the middle of the band where you can hear everything, all of the time. For the full experience, we recommend you listen with your eyes closed and your ears open. In his early 20's Chuck Hedges remembered that he once played clarinet in high school and, wouldn't it be cool if he got it out again to see if he remembered how to play it. Then, apparently he jumped on-stage with some local Chicago guys like George Brunies, Muggsy Spanier and Danny Alvin and headed out on a half-century career which has taken him all over the world and launched him into the ranks of the best jazz clarinetists on planet Earth.