Maps of Music

Night & Day: Big Band (1995)

Where the lyrics of Night & Day: Big Band take you, and where it was really made.

Chicago's eighteenth studio album swapped its Top 40 sound for big band standards, and an Aerosmith guitarist was brought in for one solo.

Key places

Recorded at Armoury Studios in Vancouver (1995)

Recording site Armoury Studios — The album was recorded at this Vancouver studio, one of two studios credited for the sessions along with Record Plant in Los Angeles. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Record Plant in Los Angeles (1995)

Recording site Record Plant (Los Angeles) — The album was also recorded at Record Plant in Los Angeles, alongside the Vancouver sessions at Armoury Studios. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Night & Day: Big Band is the eighteenth studio album by the American band Chicago
• Twenty-second album overall, released in 1995
• A departure from Top 40 material toward a more thematic project
• Focus on classic big band, jazz, and swing music
• Chicago had left Reprise Records and started its own imprint, Chicago Records
• Distributed by Giant Records, a Warner Music subsidiary that also distributes Reprise

Background

• The band made its television variety debut in February 1973 on a Duke Ellington tribute special
• On that show they performed Ellington's composition "Jump for Joy"
• They were the only rock musicians invited to appear
• Walter Parazaider cited the special and Ellington's comments afterwards as important factors in the decision to record this album

Recording

• Produced by Bruce Fairbairn
• Recorded from late 1994 to early 1995
• Bruce Gaitsch joined the band and played guitar on the album sessions
• Keith Howland filled the guitar slot later that year
• Joe Perry of Aerosmith was brought in to add a solo to "Blues in the Night"
• Recorded at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, B.C. and at Record Plant in Los Angeles

Cover

• Cover photography by Hugh Kretschmer
• Art direction and design by Larry Vigon

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Chicago is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1967.
• The band described itself as a "rock and roll band with horns" and blended classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop.
• The group first called itself the Big Thing, became Chicago Transit Authority in 1968, and shortened its name to Chicago in 1969.

Members

• The original line-up was Peter Cetera (bass), Terry Kath (guitar), Robert Lamm (keyboards), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), James Pankow (trombone), Walter Parazaider (woodwinds), and Danny Seraphine (drums).
• Lamm, Loughnane, and Pankow have remained constant members since 2009.
• Terry Kath died in 1978 after an accidental gunshot wound.

Career

• The band's debut double album, Chicago Transit Authority (1969), was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014.
• In 1971 Chicago became the first rock act to sell out a week at Carnegie Hall.
• "If You Leave Me Now" (1976) became the group's first number-one single and won its only Grammy.
• Billboard placed the band among the most successful chart acts in its history, and it has sold more than 100 million records.
• The original line-up was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
• Chicago received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on October 16, 2020.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Released in May 1995 as the eighteenth studio album by Chicago
• Distributed by Giant Records, a Warner Music subsidiary that also distributes Reprise
• Chicago had left Reprise Records and started its own imprint, Chicago Records
• Recorded with producer Bruce Fairbairn from late 1994 to early 1995
• Recorded at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, B.C. and at Record Plant in Los Angeles
• Mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood
• Personnel credits list Bill Champlin, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, Walter Parazaider, Jason Scheff, Tris Imboden and Bruce Gaitsch
• Guest credits include The Gipsy Kings, Paul Shaffer, Jade and Joe Perry
• Shelly Berg is credited with orchestrations and big band arrangements, and Bill Watrous with big band arrangements

Records

• The album reached number 90 on the US Billboard 200 chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Joe Perry of Aerosmith added the guitar solo on "Blues in the Night"
• Keith Howland took over the guitar role later in 1995, after Bruce Gaitsch had played on the album sessions
• Paul Shaffer played acoustic piano on "Dream a Little Dream of Me"
• The Gipsy Kings sang and played rumba flamenco guitars on "Sing, Sing, Sing" and co-produced that track
• Bruce Fairbairn played the trumpet solo on "Chicago"
• Walter Parazaider cited Duke Ellington's comments after the 1973 television special as a reason for recording the album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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