"If you have to ask what Jazz is, you'll never know." - Louis Armstrong
This Time It All Started With…
my obsession with Gilmore Girls. Yes, I’m going to blame this questionable music discovery on Gilmore Girls.
Enter: Paul Anka’s album, Rock Swings (2005).
Usually I tend to focus on only one song in these blog posts but today’s victim is an entire album because I simply cannot choose.
Up until recently, if someone were to mention Paul Anka, I would think of the dog that Lorelai and Rory adopt in Gilmore Girls (Season 6). That was until I started re-watching the series and decided to take a listen to the real Paul Anka.
And I’m happy I did!
The younger generations might know Mr. Anka from a TikTok trend: the song, “Put your head on my shoulder”, playing whilst a rather PG-13 montage roll (Google at your own discretion).
The older generations might know Mr. Anka simply just from listening to him on the radio.
Rock Swings (2005) is the perfect album for someone who loves Jazz and Rock music. Yes… weird combo. But oddly, he makes it work.
On this album you will find hits like “Wonderwall” by Oasis, “Jump” by Van Halen and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. Each of these classics have been arranged to be played by a Jazz Big Band.
So instead of the iconic electric guitar and drums intro from “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, Paul Anka used brass instruments and cymbals in a Jazz Big Band fashion.
The first song I heard from this album, that drew my attention to the rest, was “It’s My Life” by Jon Bon Jovi – jazzified.
Now this is actually comical. Whilst writing this, I went to take a listen to the original and compared it to Paul Anka’s.
Picture this: the iconic vocal riff, piano and drums heard in the Bon Jovi intro vs. the Big Band arrangement with piano, saxophones and trumpets almost romanticizing the rock anthem in the Paul Anka version.
A total shift in vibe.
A total shift in mood.
Dear reader, I do think it would be very worthwhile for you to go listen to this album.
But I must warn you, expect the unexpected.
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