SPRINGFIELD – Music's spinning wheel turned back to the cusp of the 1970s and the heyday of horn bands on Saturday night as the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Jeans 'n Classics band and vocalists presented "Blood, Sweat, Tears, Earth, Wind, Fire, and a Little Chicago," the final offering of the SSO's current pops season.



More than any Jeans 'n Classics show this season, the concert showcased individual members of the orchestra. Concertmaster Masako Yanagita was featured in the intro to Laura Nyro's "And When I Die," covered a pretty close to note-for-note transcription of the Grant Geissman guitar solo in the 1977 Chuck Mangione hit "Feels So Good," and jammed with Jeans 'n Classics guitarist (and founder) Peter Brennan on Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4." Yanagita's brilliant playing was received with a rock 'n' roll roar of approval from the audience of 1795.

Andrew Cordle and Shotaro Mori delivered a stellar bassoon break in the middle of Blood Sweat and Tears' "Go Down Gambling."

SSO principal flutist Albert Brouwer graced the evening's performance of "Colour My World" with his exquisite tone and patient, elegantly nuanced delivery of the Walter Parazaider flute solo from Chicago's eponymous 1970 album.

A guest appearance by UMass's Jeff Holmes on trumpet and flugelhorn paid many dividends, ranging from searing lead trumpet work on "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" "Spinning Wheel," "Make Me Smile" (the original B-side to "Colour My World") and "25 or 6 to 4" to a lovely subdued solo on Blood, Sweat, & Tears' "You're the One." Holmes' flugelhorn feature on Mangione's "Feels So Good" was less successful.

Jeans 'n Classics vocalist Jean Meilleur handled the BST and Chicago numbers, earning boisterous accolades for "Make Me Smile" and "God Bless the Child," among others. David Blamires handled the lead vocals on all the Earth, Wind, and Fire tunes, garnering rave approval for his soaring Philip Bailey falsetto on "Fantasy" early in the concert's second half.

Backing vocalists Kathryn Rose and Stephanie Martin harmonized deftly with both Meilleur and Blamires, and gave Chicago's Peter Cetera a run for his money with a tight, sweet duet arrangement of the 1976 hit from Chicago X, "If You Leave Me Now."

In addition to founder Peter Brennan on guitar, the Jeans 'n Classics band included John Regan on keyboard and humorous commentary, bassist Steve Lucas, and drummer Paul DeLong (who had actually played with BST vocalist David Clayton Thomas). Guest conductor Mitchell Tyler kept things lined up from the podium.

Sound reinforcement balanced the orchestra successfully with the electric instruments, and for the most part kept the vocals in the forefront of the mix, creating an enjoyable acoustic experience for all.

Brennan's arrangements honored the original recordings and gave both the band and the SSO plenty of playing to do. His obvious enjoyment of playing music that has meaning in his life with a host of colleagues from all musical walks of life was gratifying to watch.

The only ingredient that was missing from the show was continuity, a lack which might be easily filled with a script informed by historical reference to the originators and evolution of the music.