Joining the ranks of legends

SINGAPORE'S "King of Swing", Jeremy Monteiro, has hit all the right notes over the last three decades to get to where he is; and he has notched up another high with his latest album, Jazz-Blues Brothers, coming out on the prestigious and iconic Verve label.

On top of being the first local artist to have that honour, the release also puts the former Cultural Medallion winner in the ranks of other Verve legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie and Billie Holiday.

Jazz-Blues Brothers, which hit stores in mid-September, is a collaboration with Alberto Marsico, whom the 54-year-old played with at last year's Jazz Organ Summit shows.

To think the album almost didn't happen, if not for Marsico - inspired by the chemistry he shared with the local jazz maestro on-stage - shooing him straight into the stu…