Jack Jones - I've Got a Lot of Living to Do

Tonight's album isn't what you think. I mean, obviously it's a Jack Jones album, but that's not what i'm really listening to tonight. I'm really listening to my all time favorite arranger blow his contemporaries out of the water.

Jack Jones is primarily known as a pop singer, but 1962's I've Got a Lot of Livin' to Do is one of his forays into big band jazz. He's great, and i really do like his voice. His output is consistently high quality (though the vocal reverb on this album is borderline obnoxious), and that means we can turn our attention to his supporting ensembles.

Three band leaders support him on this album.  Billy May only does one track (and his orchestration is booooooring), so it's really a grudge match between Pete King and Marty Paich. Paich is the winner, hands down.

My love of Marty Paich is well documented (possibly to the point of nausea), but i think you can hear the difference on this album. May's scoring makes his ensemble sound unimportant. The trumpets are always muted, the solos are haphazard, and the recording quality is noticeably muddier. The one exception is "Me and My Big Ideas."

Paich, however, is a genius at putting various subsections of the band on equal footing with the singer. At no point does any instrument just vamp for 8 bars. He never uses the band as mere accompaniment, and every single part serves a vital role in how the song unfolds.

Oh, nevermind. Go give this album a listen just because it's fun. He's a great crooner, and this whole album is highly enjoyable. I'm not ashamed to admit i like him more than Sinatra. I like Dean Martin best, but Jack Jones is a close second.

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