Recent instrumental big band and orchestral jazz album recommendations. With 25 & 50 year retrospectives, to illustrate the timelessness of this great music.
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Excerpts from and links to album reviews of rather boisterous jazz albums. Artist info links at: Wikipedia; website; Discogs; Bandcamp as available. Links to the full album on: basic/free YouTube; subscription Spotify; purchase download Bandcamp. Check your favorite service. Please enjoy!
The Orchestre National De Jazz is a progressive French big band that has released ~35 albums since 1986. Their latest endeavors delve into prog-rock and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted compositions. Discogs; website; YouTube; Bandcamp
Their 2023 album Ex Machina, with composer/saxophonist Steve Lehman, used an AI program as a pre-compositional tool. Karl Ackermann/AllAboutJazz: “ Seamlessly incorporated with acoustic and electronic instrumentation, the elements blend together as … a baffling and beautiful juggling act.”
Here’s a nice album from 2023. A tentet is a ‘little big band.’
JazzFinland: “On Rumba Liberte you can hear multidimensional music, where prog shifts are combined with the soundscape of a big band… According to pianist/arranger/bandleader Jukka Linkola you will hear an energetic and surprising ensemble, in whose sounds you can hear a lot of creative madness.”
Jukka has hewn ‘creative madness’ around Europe long enough to have >25 albums on Discogssince 1976. He did another ‘Tentet’ album in 1994. The video is an album tune.
David Shiers/LondonJazzNews: “Face to Face was made during pianist Nikki Iles’ time working in Germany as Composer in Residence with the awesome NDR Bigband…. recorded ‘live’ in the studio, with no overdubs or effects…. Face to Face is evidence that the big band can still give us great art.”
This is Niki’s ~13th release since 1996, and first as a big band leader. Niki’s website; Discogs.
The NDR Big Band is a project of NDR Broadcasters in Hamburg, and explores the progressive side of big band. They have released >75 albums since 1985.Discogs. Their YouTube channel (please subscribe) has >50 full concerts that were live streamed from the last 6 years.
Here’s a YouTube playlist with ~40 minutes of 5 tunes from Jazz Baltica 2023, with one below.
Nicholas Mondello/AllAboutJazz: “Islands from Dan Bonsanti is a tour de force consisting of eleven unique selections, colorful textured arrangements, and outstanding ensemble and solo playing.”
The 14 Jazz Orchestra: Dan Bonsanti, composer/conductor; Ed Calle, Ed Maina, Peter Brewer, Mike Brignola, saxophones; Brett Murphey, Jason Carder, John Lovell, trumpet; Dana Teboe, Major Bailey, trombone; Mike Levine, piano; Lindsey Blair, guitar. Guests include Dave Liebman on sax, Peter Erskine on drums and Mike Mainieri on vibes.
This is the Orchestra’s 4th album since 2015. Discogs.
The 14 Jazz Orchestra, Islands, full album: YouTube; Spotify
George Harris/JazzWeekly: “Trombonist, composer and arranger Doug Beavers mixes medium and big sized bands on this sophisticatedly arranged album… Rich charts.”
From his website: “... perform, arrange and record for Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Christian McBride, Mingus Big Band, Ruben Blades, Típica ’73, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Paul Simon, Willie Colón, and countless others. As a leader, he’s recorded six critically acclaimed albums; his 2017 release, Art of the Arrangement, earned a Grammy nomination.”Doug's Discogs ; Bandcamp.
Grammy January (see 2 posts below) includes some February.
The WDR Big Band posted this tune today. Pianist Billy Childs just won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his 2023 release The Winds Of Change.
From the YouTube info: “The WDR Big Band plays with Grammy winner Billy Childs on piano the latter's composition ‘Dance Of Shiva’ in an arrangement by Ansgar Striepens (conductor). Further solos are played by Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone and Hans Dekker on drums. Recorded live at the Kölner Philharmonie (February 2018).”
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979. YouTubechannel (please subscribe); website; Discogs
This is Billy's 6th Grammy Award with 17 nominations! He has released ~19 albums since 1985. Billy's Discogs; website
Grammy January (see 4 posts above) includes some February.
This album is nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The awards are on 4 February.
Katchie Cartwright/AllAboutJazz: “From the tensile strength of the first chord… Darcy James Argue's Secret Society's Dynamic Maximum Tension is a delight… There is more to report but, like Argue said, ‘Just close your eyes and listen to the damn thing.’"
This is Darcy’s 4th big band album since 2009, and all received nominations. The YT link’s 1st ~12 vids are this album, then abuncha older live performances by the band, including an entire ‘Jazz Night In America’ show. The video below is the live-in-studio 1st album tune. Darcy’s website; Discogs. Society’s Discogs.
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Dynamic Maximum Tension, full album: YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
BluesRockReview: “Mr. Basie said, ‘our blues will make your blues go away.’ Throughout Basie Swings The Blues The Count Basie Orchestra flows the album together with both mood-altering rhythms and horn exclamation points.”
Shemekia Copeland, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Bettye LeVette, Charlie Musselwhite, George Benson and more do a vocal tune and play.
Trumpeter Scotty Barnhart has led the band since 2013, their 6th leader since Basie died in ‘84, and they’ve now earned 3 Grammy nominations under his direction. The Count Basie Orchestra has been in ~continuous business since 1936! Orchestra’s website; Discogs
The video is the band swingin’ the blues from 1941. To record these guys with modern techniques….
The Count Basie Orchestra, Basie Swings The Blues, full album: YouTube; Spotify
This is nominated for the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Album. The awards are on 4 February.
Richard Salvucci/AllAboutJazz: “Here you have intriguing arrangements, superb musicians, and atmospherics galore… Olympians was recorded remotely during the pandemic. It is yet another lovely artifact of a very troubled time.” Dianne Reeves and Cecile McLorin Salvant each sing a song, and saxophonists Chris Potter and David Binney help.
Composer/arranger Vince Mendoza led the Metropole Orkest from 2005-13, and occasionally since. He has 7 Grammys and 1 Latin Grammy with 38 more nominations. This is his ~27th album since 1989. Vince’s: website; Discogs; Bandcamp.
The Orkest has 4 Grammys and 2 Oscars, and has released >150 albums since 1952. They are a project of Netherlands Public Broadcasting, and are based in Hilversum. The Orkest’s: website; Discogs
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest, Olympians, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Added these albums to Big Band 2023, now ~85 albums, at Spotify/JazzTodayish. Check your streaming service, YouTube or Bandcamp. Abuncha good ones here.
The Flying Horse Big Band, A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz gave this 5/5 stars.
Mario Corvini & New Talents Jazz Orchestra Play Enrico Pieranunzi, Entropy. Xango Music.
Hakan Brostrom & New Places Orchestra, Cosmic Friends. JazzBluesNews. 😎
This is both a preview of this year and a review of last year for this Grammy nominee.The 2024 Grammy Awards are on February 4.
This Chick Corea tribute album is a 2024 Grammy Award nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.It was a 2023 Latin Grammy nominee for Best Instrumental Album, and for Best Arrangement for Emilio Sollo on the song ‘Spain,’ shown below.
Saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera guests, among others. Josep Vincent (conductor) and ADDA Simfònica have >20 classical releases since 2019. The Simfònica is based in Alicante, Spain. Emilio Solia (arranger) Discogs. Josep Wikipedia; website.
ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vincent & Emilio Solla, The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo, full album: YouTube; Spotify
The overview of instrumental big-bandy albums nominated for 2024 Grammy Awards continues. The awards are on 4 February.
Pierre Giroux/AllAboutJazz: ‘Hilario Duran is a renowned Cuban-Canadian jazz pianist and composer known for contributing to Latin jazz. With the release of Cry Me A River, his Latin Jazz Big Band takes us on an extraordinary musical journey, effortlessly blending myriad genres into his singular style.”
Hilario earned a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the song ‘I Remember Mingus,’ which features saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera. This is Hilario’s ~14th release since 1996. Hilario’s website; Discogs
The YouTube link has the entire album played live-in-studio. The Grammy-nominated tune is shown below.
Hilario Duran & his Latin Jazz Big Band, Cry Me A River, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Here's one for the preview of instrumental big-bandy albums nominated for 2024 Grammy Awards. The awards are on 4 February.
Walter Atkins/AllAboutJazz: “Raymond Scott Reimagined is an engaging collaborative project with Quartet San Francisco, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and the Grammy winning acapella group Take 6 on two tracks. The album is a thoughtful and stylish interpretation of Raymond Scott's legacy. It is also interspersed with audio tidbits featuring Scott's singular musical approaches.” The song ‘Cutey and the Dragon’ was nominated for Best Instrumental Composition.
Scott was a composer/arranger/musician active from 1931-’85. He sold his music catalog to Warner Bros in 1943, which then became the most famous tunes in cartoons. He did release ~8 albums from 1947-’85, and was an electronica pioneer in the ‘50s-’60s. This is the Phat Band’s ~11th release since 1999, and their 4th nomination with 1 Grammy win. The video is the nominated tune performed live in the studio. Scott’s Discogs. Phat’s website& Discogs.
Quartet San Francisco & Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Raymond Scott Reimagined, full album: YouTube; Spotify
The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.
This album was nominated for a 2023 Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Album.
El Chino Solar Latin Club: This live album “is a kind of anthology with some of the most beautiful danzones[Cuban song & dance music] created during the 20th century and where the flute … takes us by the hand through the music.” Orchestra leader/founder flutist Ehiel Falde displays his virtuosity. This is a ‘little big band,’ with 3 percussionists, violin and 4 horns in the mix. The YT link has videos of the entire album played in-studio. The 3rd tune is below. The official album is a concert recorded live in Matanzas, Cuba.
Orquesta Failde, Danzoneando (En Vivo Desde Matanzas), full album: YouTube; Spotify
Happy New Year everyone! The Grammy Awards are 4 February 2024. This continues the overview of last year's nominees, winners and associated albums.
Jim Hynes/MakingAScene!: “Catalyst is the new album for Steven Feifke, where he does all the heavy lifting as pianist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, bandleader, and producer. Feifke became the youngest ever Grammy winner for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2023… Catalyst will only further his growing reputation, especially as an arranger.”
This is his ~7th album since 2015 (5 big band), plus alotta session jobs, and work with saxophonist Alexa Tarantino. He is all of 32 years old… Wikipedia. Discogs is disorganized. The YouTube link for this album has 8 of the 10 tunes played live-in-studio.
Steven Feifke, Catalyst, full album: free YouTube; Spotify
Here is his Grammy-winner album Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (GGJO).
The album cover shows the quality players involved. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: "GGJO, co-led with trumpeter par excellence Bijon Watson, is a 17-member ensemble comprisingseasoned players paired with young lions whose … debut album is sharp and radiant from start to finish. " A Zoom performance of the 3rd album tune is shown.
Steven Feifke & Bijon Watson, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, full album: free YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
His 2021 big band album Kinetic is aptly titled. This was the 1st of his hat-trick of excellent big band jazz albums! Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “Feifke's intense and high-powered charts neatly pave the way, giving the band a well-drawn road map on which to shape its dynamic course.” The YT link has videos of the entire album played live-in-studio, with the title-tune shown below.
Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: "...Red Beats is a swinging album deftly performed by drummer Steve Fidyk's fashionably named Live Wire Broad Band… The album itself consists of nine of Fidyk's multi-layered and high-powered compositions. Trumpeter Tim Leahey, leads the parade ... and is superb, as is veteran tenor saxophonist ... Walt Weiskopf."
Fidyk: has been active since 1991; released ~15 albums with the U.S. Army Blues; ~6 releases of his own; has lotsa studio and big band experience; is a prominent music educator. Steve’s Bandcamp; Discogs.
Steve Fidyk & the Live Wire Broad Band, Red Beats, full album: YouTube; Spotify
This was nominated for a 2023 Latin Grammy Award for Best Jazz Album.
Pianist/arranger/composer William Maestre has been active in Colombian jazz since the 1980s. Discogs lists an EP from 2007 with his band Magenta, active since 1993, but his bio insinuates other recordings. He is a professor at Universidad El Bosque, in Bogotá, Colombia.
This was posted about the album on a YouTubeinterview: “Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Semblanzas, the first production of the William Maestre Big Band. This extraordinary album is the result of a research project supported by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research and the musical training program of El Bosque University. We explore the captivating rhythms of the Colombian Caribbean, immersing ourselves in the unique interpretation of the mooring drums and their vivid traditions such as the bullerengueand the tumbara. We have achieved a surprising fusion, combining traditional instruments with a contemporary orchestra, creating a rich melodic and harmonic mix inspired by jazz. This album includes seven instrumental tracks and an exciting composition in a reduced instrumental format.”
William Maestre Big Band, Semblanzas, full album: YouTube; Spotify
