Billy Novick & Shades of Swing  

Billy Novick formed his Shades of Swing quartet in 1991 in order to give himself an opportunity to "stretch out" and play some more mainstream jazz, featuring his alto sax playing in addition to his clarinet and vocal stylings. The quartet has appeared in numerous concert, club, and jazz clinic formats over the years, and features some of the finest jazz musicians in New England. The band has also performed a wide variety of functions- corporate conferences, weddings, private poarties, etc. It draws its repertoire largely from the "Great American Songbook," featuring the music of the George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers, and Duke Ellington as well as the other great American songwriters of the mid-twentieth century.The band will often perform a some of Novick's lyrical and evocative original compositions in concert.

If you see "Shades of Swing" in concert, you'll find yourself amazed by the incomparable musicianship and moved by the wide range of feelings the band will capture. You will fully experience the deep sensitivity of a Gershwin ballad, the elegant sophistication of an Ellington piece, or just the sheer musical joy the band can create when it simply swings like crazy on an up-tempo tune.

If you hire Shades of Swing for your private function, you'll find that you have hired a highly professional group that takes equal pride in being able to play softly and elegantly so that your guests can talk quietly with the music in the background, or play music so swinging and danceable that your guests won't be able to keep still!

Please go to the  Upcoming Performances page of this website to see where Shades of Swing will be appearing in the near future.