Don't Fence Me In ACT***

Trombonist Nils Landgren, artistic director of Sweden's Bohuslän Big Band, asked the creatively iconoclastic Colin Towns to arrange and conduct this visit to a dozen Cole Porter hits. Perhaps there was a brief to keep Porter centre frame and foreground Landgren's singing and virtuoso instrumental skills; whatever the reason, Towns is not as adventurous as his track record might lead you to expect. Nevertheless, there is plenty of meat in the orchestral colour and ingenious contrapuntal writing, executed with verve and conviction by a world-class band whose exceptional soloists, led by Landgren, consistently shine. Especially notable are Love For Sale, Too Darn Hot, I Love Parisand What Is This Thing Called Love. But Landgren's ubiquitous, emotionally flat, monochrome vocals dilute the album's impact. See actmusic.com