The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.
Ron Carter and the Jazzaar Festival Big Band released Remembering Bob Freedman, and earned a nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The Jazzaar Festival is a spring Swiss jazz-fest that has run since ~1997, with an emphasis on jazz education and youth.
From the festival website: "The album features the bass legend Ron Carter with acclaimed jazz instrumentalists trumpeter Ryan Quigley, saxophonist Antonio Hart, trombonist Jason Jackson, pianist Donald Vega, and drummer Carl Allen, as seasoned role models for twelve selected aspiring young jazz musicians from the Swiss music scene that completed the big band… The production was a long-awaited collaboration between Jazzaar Festival producer, Bob Freedman, and Ron Carter, which took a sudden tragic turn when Bob sadly passed away in the middle of planning." Hence, the album title. Ron’s: website ; Discogs. Freedman’s Discogs.
Ron Carter & the Jazzaar Festival Big Band, Remembering Bob Freedman, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Ron Carter has 2 previous big band albums. Both are worth a listen, as are most Ron Carter projects.
From the album’s press-release: “Ron Carter chose ten pieces and … Richard DeRosa, principal conductor of the WDR Big Band, contributed the arrangements. The result is a sound, which pays attention to the lush big band tone as well as to the fine and sophisticated solo parts and allows both to fully bloom.” 2013 recordings released in 2016.
Ron Carter & WDR Big Band, My Personal Songbook, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Here’s links to 2 other posts for 5 more WDR Big Band albums: Center Stage, Jackets XL, Soundscapes, Drop Shot and Renderings.
Ken Dryden/Allmusic: “Ron Carter is … the most recorded bassist in jazz [>2000 session credits]. In his 70s at the time of these sessions, he is very much still at the top of his game as he leads the first big-band date of his own, with potent arrangements by conductor Bob Freedman with some of New York's busiest musicians, including Jerry Dodgion, Steve Wilson, Wayne Escoffery, and Scott Robinson in the woodwind section, brass players Steve Davis, Douglas Purviance, and Greg Gisbert, plus pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Lewis Nash… With this delightful big-band date, the veteran bassist continues to surprise and delight listeners.” From 2011.
Ron Carter, Ron Carter’s Great Big Band, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
Jazzaar is on Grammy Jazz 2022 and Big Band 2022 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.
Below are posts for other best album nominees: Remy LeBouf Architecture Of Storms; WDR Big Band & Steve Gadd et al Center Stage; Grammy-winner Steven Feifke Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra. 😎