Album Review: Songs of Berlin from Marc Secara and his Berlin Jazz Orchestra

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Album:  Songs of Berlin
Artist:  Marc Secara and his Berlin Jazz Orchestra
Label:  GAM
Website:   https://marcsecara.de

Founded in 2000 by German singer Marc Secara, the Berlin Jazz Orchestra has been regaling audiences for over twenty years with their blend of popular swing jazz.  Under the artistic direction of American trombone legend Jiggs Whigham, the jazz ensemble has proven to be a genuine crowd pleaser.  Their latest CD Songs of Berlin garners them another triumphant moment in their track record.

Singing in both German and English, Secara's charming vocal strut adapt to the individual atmospheres, showcasing a flirtatious samba shimmy along "Haus am See" and modulating to a fluid flutter through "Berlin," displaying an intimacy with the listener of a Tom Jones persuasion.  Secara brings out a romantic leaning in the track, which switches to a vibrant spring along the swinging rompers "Berlin in Licht" and "Mackie Messer," alighting a Wayne Newton-style gusto.

Audiences will glean that each track celebrates the multiple facets and individuality of Berlin.  "Great Day for Freedom" is a tune of remembrance, reflecting about the day when the Berlin Wall came down and relating the act of being unleashing from constraints to being freed from unrequited love.  The saxophone solo emotes impressions of heartache in a manner that impels the listener's attention.  In swing jazz fashion, Secara's delivery exhibits a sense of rising above the hurt and soaring majestically.

Secara adheres to the cliches audiences attribute to jazz performers like Tom Jones and Wayne Newton well; and yet, he is more than a mirror version of Tom Jones and Wayne Newton.  The Berlin Jazz Orchestra provide a firm support for his vocals, enabling listeners to understand the meaning of the songs even when the lyrics are sung in a language other than their own.

Musicians:
Vocals: Marc Secara
Solo Trombone: Jiggs Whigham
Trumpets: Benny Brown, Martin Gerwig, Jürgen Hahn, and Nikolaus Neuser
Trombones: Christoph Hermann, Simon Harrer, Jan Landowski, and Arne Fischer
Saxophones: Jonas Schoen, Nico Lohmann, Patrick Braun, Thomas Walter Maria, and Nikolaus Leistle
Piano/Accordion: Wolfgang Koehler
Bass: Andreas Henze and Ralph Graessler
Guitar: Jeanfrançois Prins
Drums: Tobias Backhaus
Vibraphone and auxiliary percussion: Mike Waldrop
Backing Vocals: Maxime Shakir on "Haus am See," Sarah Kaiser on "Great Day For Freedom," and Elisabeth Schmidt on "Great Day For Freedom"

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