Close harmony singing is the vocal equivalent of a jazz big band, and this programme is the Vasari Singers' personal tour of a style in which they have excelled for years. Their connection with Ward Swingle and the pioneering Swingle Singers is explored in arrangements ranging from traditional folk songs such as the haunting Danny Boy, to favourites by The Beatles and the delicious harmonies of Stephen Sondheim. George Shearing's English musical background and American jazz influence combine in his Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare, and the album closes with a cleverly integrated and up-beat version of Duke Ellington's classic It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing).
