It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

I should probably preface this entry by letting you know that I've known Charlton Singleton for a long time. We attended Wando High School together back in the 80s and even sat at a classroom table together in Mrs. Weiss's algebra class. Even back then Charlton was all about music. He was a fine student and eventually became drum major for the Wando marching band his senior year, then attended Berklee College of Music and South Carolina State University. In the last couple of decades Singleton has performed in local bands such as Plane Jane and Skwzbxx, has served as an adjunct professor in the music department at the College of Charleston, and has had his hand in more musical projects than most folks realize.

For the past few years though, Singleton's passion has been the Charleston Jazz Orchestra (CJO). I was fortunate enough to see one of the first performances by the outfit, which then was called the Charlton Singleton Orchestra, back in March of 2008. During that performance there were only about 400 people in the Charleston Music Hall downtown, enough to seat everyone comfortably downstairs in the orchestra section. The performance was one of the better things I've seen staged in Charleston in my nearly three decades of concert going.

That first year the CJO started selling season passes, and 32 people took them up on the offer. This year that number had risen to more than 400 season pass holders, and at last Wednesday's "Holiday Swing" performance at the Charleston Music Hall, there wasn't an empty seat in the house from what I could see. That's pretty impressive for a nonprofit organization looking to spread the joy of jazz to the masses. As the lights went down and the tuxedoed musicians took their places on the stage, Leah Maria Suarez, the Executive Director of Jazz Artists of Charleston stepped up to the podium to give a short talk on the CJO and what it has accomplished during its short life so far. Suarez also gave a shout out to the late Jack McCray, who had provided much of the inspiration that led to the formation of the CJO. McCray got to see the organization become successful prior to passing away late last year, and as a tribute to his passion for jazz and his dedication for getting the CJO going, McCray's hat sits in a place of honor on the podium at every performance.

Much of the first half of the show was devoted to a swinging version of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker." The reworkings of the classical piece were originally done by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and the CJO pulled it off beautifully. Each musician among the 18-piece orchestra got their time in the spotlight throughout the course of the evening. With five people on reed instruments, four trumpet players (not counting Singleton), four trombonists, a bassist, a guitarist, a drummer, and a pianist, there was plenty to take in on the stage.

Some of the evening's highlights included a great jazz version of "If I Only Had a Brain" from The Wizard of Oz that featured a four-part harmony with Singleton, Suarez, saxophonist John Phillips, and trombonist Steve Spaulding, as well as a cool take on Beethoven's 5th Symphony, titled "A Beat Farmer's Fifth." Several times during the show Singleton attempted to get the capacity crowd to get up and dance, repeating three times like a mantra, "If you feel so inclined." By the time the CJO got to a cover of Sam & Dave's "Soul Man," I could see at least one couple dancing from where I was sitting in the balcony. Between songs Singleton told a story about his four-year-old nephew gravitating toward music, and said he had asked the kid if he'd like to learn to play trumpet like his uncle Charlton. The child's reply, "No, everyone knows that guitars are the best!"

Other standout performances included reworkings of "Tradition" from Fiddler on the Roof, "Toreador Song" from Bizet's opera Carmen, and a ridiculously great cover of Junior Walker's "Shotgun," with Singleton singing lead vocals. I told you at the beginning that I've know Singleton for a long time, but I'd never actually heard the guy sing before. He tore that classic R&B number up, and was obviously delighted to see folks dancing in the front row and aisles of the venue. Singleton even hopped off the stage and joined his family for a few minutes during the song's solo. After returning to the stage and finishing that tune, Singleton once again thanked everyone for coming and closed out the evening with a swinging version of "The Charleston," which once again had folks out of their seats down front dancing various versions of the song that popularized the Holy City almost a century ago.

If you still haven't had a chance to see the CJO live, you really need to do so. The 2013 schedule has been announced and it includes some tasty looking selections, including tributes to John Coltrane, Bebop, Porgy & Bess, and the ever-popular Latin Night. For more information about anything having to do with the CJO, go to thejac.org. I guarantee that you simply can't not have a great time at a CJO show. Charleston should consider itself lucky to have such a musical jewel right in its backyard. It should consider itself even luckier to have a musical force of nature like Charlton Singleton heading up this amazing group of musicians.    

Lead photo credit: Alice Keeney