Night & Day Big Band

Night and Day: Big-Band
Studio album by Chicago
Released	May 23, 1995
Recorded	December 1994 - January 1995
Genre	Big Band
Length	51:27
Label	Giant Records
Producer	Bruce Fairbairn
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Chicago chronology
Twenty 1 (1991) Night and Day: Big-Band (1995) The Heart of Chicago 1967-1997 (1997)

Night and Day: Big-Band is an album by American rock band Chicago that was released in 1995. Their twenty-second official album, it marked the band's abandonment of Top 40 material for a more thematic project, the focus here being classic big band and swing music.

Following the commercial failure of 1991's Twenty 1, Chicago recorded Stone of Sisyphus in 1993 and 1994—a dramatic return to the old days of artistic freedom without trying to have a hit single—which was rejected by Reprise Records. (It was eventually released by Rhino Records in 2008.) In response, Chicago left the label and started up their own imprint, Chicago Records, to re-distribute their recently-acquired Columbia Records output and, presumably, to release their future material. Despite this, their new "big band" project (in many ways, the root of Chicago's original sound) would be carried by Giant Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music, who also ironically distributes Reprise.

Landing noted producer Bruce Fairbairn to helm the project, Chicago recorded Night & Day Big Band in late 1994/early 1995 and released it that May. Although Bruce Gaitsch played guitar on the sessions, the guitar slot would eventually be filled that year by Keith Howland, who remains Chicago's present guitarist. As a side note, Joe Perry of Aerosmith was brought in to add a sizzling solo to "Blues in the Night."

Reaction to the album was mixed. Original fans were doubtless pleased by the throwback to the band's formative years, while longtime fans of their David Foster-era were surprised by the sudden about-face.^{[citation needed]} Compounding this was the fact that such a drastic change in style at this stage in the band's career was a risky, if brave, move commercially. Consequently, the album reached #90 in the US. But, after years of recording music that, in their view, felt at times like the work of other artists, Chicago was pleased to reclaim its roots and find themselves again in control.

Track listing

1. "Chicago" – 3:06
2. "Caravan" – 3:23
3. "Dream a Little Dream of Me" – 3:12
4. "Goody Goody" – 4:05
5. "Moonlight Serenade" – 4:26
6. "Night and Day" – 5:36
7. "Blues in the Night" – 6:05
8. "Sing, Sing, Sing" – 3:21
9. "Sophisticated Lady" – 5:11
10. "In the Mood" – 3:43
11. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" – 3:38
12. "Take The "A" Train" – 5:36
13. "String of Pearls"

The band

• Bill Champlin - keyboards and vocals
• Bruce Gaitsch - guitar
• Tris Imboden - drums and percussion
• Robert Lamm - keyboards and vocals
• Lee Loughnane - trumpet
• James Pankow - trombone
• Walter Parazaider - saxophone and flutes
• Jason Scheff - bass guitar and vocals

Additional personnel

• Luis Conte - percussion
• Jack Duncan - percussion
• Sal Ferreras - percussion
• Gipsy Kings - vocals
• Jade - vocals on "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
• Joe Perry - guitar
• Paul Shaffer - piano on "Dream A Little Dream of Me"