The great un-American songbook, volumes I & II

"This is big band jazz, with a smile and a grab bag of virtuosic fun. The Ed Palermo Big Band are already well established for taking work by the likes of Frank Zappa and interweaving it with bespoke compositions and crafted jazzy, big band re-imaginings. Things are different here however, The Great Un-American Songbook, (almost but not quite) taking the British invasion and Americanising it in the least reverential manner possible... Well, maybe not the least possible, because the passion for the music comes through loud and proud even as songs by The Beatles, King Crimson, Cream, Traffic, Arthur Brown, and many more, are twisted and tangled to within a big bold inch of their lives".

Læs anmeldelse

"For Un-American Songbook, self-proclaimed "Lord Edward" commits himself to some preposterous fun, placing British-accented rock-star quips in a few sections of the two-album set. But this ace bandleader-arranger is dead serious about his song-renovations, striving for exceptional music that contains levels of technical resourcefulness and emotional exposition associated with premium jazz. Palermo bloody well nails it. Of all the Beatles songs recorded by big bands over the years, his treatments of "Eleanor Rigby," "I Wanna Be Your Man" and three more Liverpudlian favorites are found near the front of the pack".