Original, swinging, fun big-band tunes! Staying true to what it's all about, NYC-based Art Lillard brings his big band back for a very nice outing and a wonderful, spirit-soaring listen. Among the current wave of big bands on the scene today, Art Lillard's Heavenly Big Band is one of only a handful playing brand-new music that's just as tuneful and fun to dance to as the music we know as "bigband standards," and just as exciting as those songs were when they first became hits in the '30s and '40s. The band includes, among others, pianist Ted Kooshian, trumpeter Mark McGowan, and vocalists Pete McGuinness, Andrea Wolper, Mary Foster Conklin, Hilary Gardner, and Dominique Eade. The ensemble, ranging from 13 to 16 players, features flutes along with the more traditional saxophones and brass. This mix gives the band it's unique, rich, bright signature sound.