Offhand, they sounded like Count Basie.

Like Basie, this big band entered swinging, with a long-limbed blues feeling running throughout a lot of the tunes. Modern jump tunes.

And when the trumpets and saxophones played a series of high rising melodies, the trombones and French horns answered, and the fine rhythm section of piano (Brian Dickinson), bass (Jim Vivian), electric guitar (Joey Goldsmith), and drums (Ted Warren) supported and urged everything along.

For one thing, there was a (felt) stylistic disconnect between MacLeod's plunger muted solos and the whole mood of those compositions made up of clear singing melody lines.

And there were all-too-familar echoes of other players in Mike Murley's "Sometimes Things Happen That Way" as interpreted on tenor by Perry White in a solo of gruff overtones.

But, that's just my opinion.

Judging by the hands patting time on tables, and the many nodding heads, the John MacLeod Big Band was getting through, loud and clear.