I’d been mulling over of this recording long before I was fortunate enough to share a stage with The Swellegant Swing Set and cannot in good conscience dismiss these years. They not only prepared me for this adventure but introduced me to an expanse of technical and creative possibility. For all that, studying the sound engineers who recorded the artists I worked with, I felt that something, wonderfully abundant in all those monumental records we revere, was missing. Beyond a warmth of sound in analogue recording there is a magic that fortifies the listeners' willing belief that they are present in that instant, with the musicians and engineers, experiencing the subtle nuances of instruments and vocal chords as they were captured. A delicate moment in time, preserved to be relived and enjoyed endlessly, eternally. In the digital age of popular music, the industry-wide accepted method is to record parts on separate tracks, at separate times, which are then mixed down to create the coalesce of sounds and melody we are accustomed to. This method, which began in the golden age of analogue recording, has since been vastly renovated. An unfortunate consequence of this improvement is the religious use of an unnaturally precise digital metronome, or 'click-track'. This innovation is most likely responsible for the loss of the natural groove we venerate in classic recordings of genres, such as Swing and Soul. Persistence of this universally endorsed methodology, with a preference for precise, arguably sterile, results has made other recording techniques and traditions obsolete. Recording 'live' is one of those traditions. It involves all or most of the performers being present in the same space at the same time, experiencing the same mood and 'feel', influencing one another in the intimacy of a unique moment, an experience I believe contributed to the presence of that particular magic. Free of a suffocating click-track, the rhythm breaths, stretches and pulls, creating tension and release, drawing listeners in to tap their feet, snap their fingers and dance. I could not have undertaken this endeavour without Roy Hermon who, with the faithful assistance of Shuie Last and Afik Doari, accepted the fathomless technical challenges courageously, with enthusiasm, to achieve a level of perfection that surprised us all. The warm, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere that evening at Luna Studios was more than I could have asked for. Eyal Matri, Milton Michaeli, and Dor Biran who formed The Swellegant Swing Set, are beyond remarkable and, as always, a joy to work with. A triumph of patience, professionalism, delivering nothing but perfection on every take. Additional trumpet tracks were provided by Yuval Shapiro, at Bardo Studios. Mr. Shapiro's majestic performance is matched only by his professionalism and good-humoured personality. Mixing takes genius, and persistence with an attention to minute details few mortals would notice, while maintaining a perfect balance of all the tracks. Unmistakably, Mr. Hermon was our champion, once again. Mastering is a task that can only be carried out by a true master of sound engineering, Yoram Ariel, to whom I owe boundless gratitude for taking this kindled light and making it clear and bright. Listening to this result, I hope you appreciate, as I do, the effort and diligence all the above went through to reproduce the charm and majesty of that old school sound I dreamt of achieving when this journey first began. Faithfully, -Simon Shocket.