Meegan & Tobin - 'Keep On Movin''

In a world where playlists are dominated by glossy beats and algorithm-driven pop, Jeff Meegan and David Tobin’s 'Keep On Movin'' feels like a bold exhale of brass and rhythm, an unapologetic revival of big band brilliance that refuses to sound dated. Instead, it pulses with the vitality of now, wrapping nostalgia in fresh tailoring.

The record is nothing short of cinematic in its ambition. Recorded live at Abbey Road’s fabled Studio 2, every horn stab and cymbal shimmer carries the immediacy of musicians locked into a moment together, rather than stitched together in post. That authenticity gives 'Keep On Movin'' the kind of fire most contemporary jazz-pop crossovers never quite reach.

From the opening rush of 'Who'd Have Believed', we are thrust into a universe where optimism is orchestrated. The arrangements, helmed by the likes of Callum Au, Martin Williams, and Charley Harrison, are lush without being bloated, balancing razor-sharp precision with the looseness that defines true swing. Tracks like 'Dance' deliver pure joy, all bouncing horns and toe-tapping percussion, while Sara Niemietz and Steve Memmolo’s vocals soar with the kind of panache that could hold their own on a Broadway stage or a smoky nightclub floor.

Meegan himself steps to the microphone as well, and his vocals provide the project with a grounding presence, a reminder that while this is a love letter to the golden era of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, it’s also a reflection of the present. It conjures ghosts of the Great American Songbook and lets them haunt a 21st-century ballroom.

What’s most impressive is the intent behind it all. 'Keep On Movin'' is a response to modern uncertainty. Where the last few years have left so much art leaning into introspection or gloom, Meegan and Tobin offer joy as resistance and swing as medicine.

For listeners weary of digital perfection and yearning for music that sweats, breathes, and shines, 'Keep On Movin'' is both a trip back in time and a charge forward. It’s proof that the big band tradition is in its revolution, brass-polished and booming with life.