Recent instrumental big band and orchestral jazz album recommendations. With ~25 & ~50 year retrospectives, to illustrate the timelessness of this great music.
THIS SITE PROMOTES FUN JAZZ!
Excerpts from and links to album reviews of rather boisterous jazz albums. Artist and album info links at: Wikipedia; website; Discogs; Bandcamp; Allmusic, as available/worthwhile. Links to the full album on: basic/free YouTube; subscription Spotify; purchase download Bandcamp, as available. Check your favorite service. Please enjoy!
Friday 50s,an album from 1975,a half-century ago.... 😊
"Saxophonist Lee Konitzperforms John Kander and Fred Ebb's songs from the Broadway musical Chicago....with surprisingly pleasing perfomances." Wikipedia. Konitz's regular nonet is augmented for this little-big-band project, which includes saxophonist Joe Farrell. Album Discogs. This album had several covers.
Lee Konitz was an alto saxophone giant from ~1945 to 2018, with over 200 albums released. He developed his big band chops with the Stan Kenton Orchestra in the 1950s. Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Lee Konitz, Chicago‘N All That Jazz!,full album:YouTube;Spotify
"Saxophonist Tobias Hoffmann conducts a large jazz orchestra through a series of
original charts. The five reeds, 9 brass and four rhythm teams are
tighter than a hipsters skinny jeans." George Harris/JazzWeekly.
This 2024 release follows the orchestra's 2022 debut album Conspiracy, and Tobias led a 2019 nonet release Retrospective. Tobias' website ; Discogs.
Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra, Innuendo, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Might as well give ya the links for the 2022 album also. "Hoffman has his own singular voice, one that is well-suited to the
contemporary scene, as it uses complex and sophisticated harmonies and
rhythms in the service of music that is both resourceful and pleasing." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz. Discogs.
Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra, Conspiracy, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Baritone saxophonist/composer/arranger/educator Ryan "Middagh’s arrangements reflect a deep respect for jazz’s big band
legacy, blending swing-era traditions with post-bop expression.... Each of the six tracks offers us a journey that celebrates tradition, spontaneity, and the personalities within the ensemble." Nolan DeBuke/TheJazzWord.
This is Ryan's 3rd ~big band album, and one with an octet, since 2010. 2019s Live From Nashville features vocalist Keb’ Mo’, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who is also on the new album, and his album Only The Horizon was featured in a post below. Ryan's website.
Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra, Live From Nashville, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
He did a 2013 album as a result of his dissertation while at the University of Northern Colorado. "This project is part of Ryan's Doctoral Jazz work and features his old
friends and mentors Jeff Coffin and drummer Tom Giampetro. They join a highly skilled student ensemble performing a set of
tunes honoring Colorado's fine craft beers. Pop a cold one and sit back
and enjoy the irrepressible joy inspired by their presence!" Soundcloud. This is a little-big-band.
Ryan Middagh, Colorado Brew, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
"This
project is part of Ryan's Doctoral Jazz work and features his old
friends and mentors saxophonist Jeff Coffin and drummer Tom Giampetro
joining a highly skilled student ensemble performing a set of tunes
honoring Colorado's fine craft beers. Pop a cold one and sit back and
enjoy the irrepressible joy inspired by their presence!"
Ryan's orchestra performs 4 tunes from the Live in Nashville album. The 1st is 'Move Your Rug'.
The 2nd is 'Dolphin Dance,' a Herbie Hancock tune.
The 3rd is 'Don't Push'.
The 4th is 'The Commissioner' and features trombonist Wycliffe Gordon.
The Nashville big band jazz scene thrives, apparently. A post below is about theChris McDonald Jazz Orchestra's It’s About Time, also based in the city. 😎
Tuesday 25s,an album from Y2K / 2000, a quarter-century ago.... 😊
Saxophonist Joe Lovano's 2000 release 52nd Street Themes won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, even though he only used 9 musicians.
"....this record is a powerful reminder of the tenor giant’s debt to the
tradition. Still, the music has that unmistakable Lovano edge." David Adler/AllAboutJazz. Album Allmusic ; Discogs.
Joe has released >50 albums since 1986, with this Grammy Award win and 14 more nominations. He did another nonet album, 2003s On This Day At The Vanguard. Website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Joe Lovano Nonet, 52nd Street Themes, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Friday 50s,today with 3 albums from 1974, so about a half-century ago... 😁
Pianist/composer/arranger/bandleader Bob James did an album of his own, and also orchestral arrangements for albums by saxophonists Hank Crawford and Grover Washington Jr. James' arrangements on these albums were with a small big band plus strings. In order by my favorite...
"This is one of Grover Washington, Jr.'s best-loved recordings and
considered a classic of r&bish jazz.... Bob James provided the colorful if somewhat commercial arrangements, ... and Washington (mostly on tenor and soprano) is heard in particularly creative form. Highly recommended." Scott Yanow/Allmusic. The title tune was 'a hit,' and the album went to #1 on the jazz and soul charts. Album Discogs ; Wikipedia. Grover's Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Grover Washington Jr., Mr. Magic, full album: YouTube (1 file) ; Spotify
Grover's 1973 album Soul Box, also with Bob James arrangements, earned a post below.
"Saxophonist Hank Crawford provides three original compositions along with two Stevie Wonder tunes (hence the album title). The string arrangements of Bob James,
who also plays electric keyboards on the date, provide a light touch of
sophistication and blend well with Crawford’s R&B-steeped alto
saxophone." Al Campbell/Allmusic. Album Discogs; Wikipedia. Hank's Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Hank Crawford, Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, full album; YouTube ; Spotify
One was Bob's ~3rd album as a leader, with now >50 releases. This shortish album is the ~start of Bob's smooth jazz career as a leader, and he's still active. His albumJazz Handsreceived a 2024 Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. OneAllmusic ; Discogs. Bob's website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
"The band ... has a performing home ... in Philadelphia, and has released about half a dozen superb albums, all featuring
David's compositions and bearing his unique soprano saxophone soloing
and sophisticated style of composing and arranging which allows the
musicians to play charts and improvise at very high levels, each with
his own imprint." Victor Schermer/AllAboutJazz.
The Eleventet is based in and plays regularly around Philadelphia, USA. This is their 6th album since ~ 2015. website.
"Alto saxophonist Jon C. Gardner not only leads the piquant and powerful Philadelphia-based Gardyn Jazz Orchestra (GJO), he also wrote and arranged every song on Vinyl Brews, an in-concert performance recorded in December 2023 at Chris' Jazz Café in the City of Brotherly Love.... When such performances are as dynamic and inspiring as this one, they
should be happily cherished and preserved forever in one's storehouse of
pleasant memories." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz.
The album has 6 original tunes, plus 3 alternate takes. The band plays a tune from the live concert recording session:
This is GJOs 2nd live release. You might as well try their eponymous 2022 album. Double-down with some fine big band jazz from Philadelphia, USA. GJO no website, so Facebook.
Friday 50s, an album from about a half-century ago.... 😉or 1974.
Clarinetist/saxophonist/bandleader Woody Hermanearned Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band in 1974 and 1975 for his two 1974 releases - a nice year's work 😁. A post below celebrates his 1974 winner Thundering Herd, with more band info. Here's his 1975 winner, Herd At Montreaux.
"Herman plays soprano saxophone exclusively, leads a 15-piece band
through contemporary funk and fusion music of the day.... This prefigured the direction he would
take for most of the '70s." Michael Nastos/Allmusic. From a 1974 concert at the famous Montreaux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the sonics could be improved, but the band cooks throughout. Album Discogs.
Woody Herman led big bands from the 1930s - 80s, with >120 albums. He won 3 Grammys with 15 more nominations. Woody's: Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Woody Herman, Herd At Montreaux, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Here's a full show, maybe from November 1973, Jazzfest Berlin, maybe from sometime in 1974. Regardless, it's a nice document of the Grammy-winnerThundering Herdin action, with really nice sound. 😎
Happy big band New Year! 😄Still postin' 2024 albums.
"Saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio's arrangements trade in tight charts yet loose-fitting solos.
The discipline the ensemble displays allows for this freedom.... With his latest release, he presents seven new compositions, arranged
for his 11-piece Cleveland band, all dedicated to his son Julian, with his wife Chelsea's vocals on two tracks" Mark Corroto/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs.
This is Bobby's ~9th album since 1999. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, he has a day job as Director of Jazz Studies at Kent State University. Bobby's: website ; Discogs ; Allmusic.
Bobby Selvaggio 11, stories dreams, inspirations: for my boy, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
Tuesday 25s 😁 an album from 1999,a quarter-century ago. Happy big band New Year! 😄
"Highly recommended, thoroughly enjoyable, and perhaps his magnum opus." Michael Nastos/Allmusic. This earned a 2000 Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album. Album Discogs.
Saxophone legend Paquito D'Rivera has released >80 albums since 1975, with 16 Grammy+Latin Grammy Awards and 33 more nominations. 😱 website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
Copy 'Paquito' into the 'search box' for posts about 4 albums he guests on below.
Paquito D’Rivera, Tropicana Nights, full album: Spotify ; Bandcamp
Another university band spreads plenty of holiday cheer on these 3 fine albums. 😁
"The splendid Oklahoma State University Jazz Orchestra (OSUJA) seldom pauses for breath on Angular Tuesday, its third album under director Tommy Poole.... It is the admirable and earnest section work on every number that raises Angular Tuesday above the norm." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz.
OSU Jazz Orchestra, Angular Tuesday, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
The other two OSUJA albums are corkers as well. OSUJA website ; YouTube
"There must be something special there, as the OSUJA is one of the most well-rehearsed
university-level jazz ensembles you're likely to encounter..." Jack Bowers/All About Jazz. From 2021.
OSU Jazz Orchestra, Room 118, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Trombonist Michael Dease guests on their 2018 album. "A tasty banquet that's sure to quicken the appetite of almost any champion
of straight-ahead big-band jazz." Jack Bowers/All About Jazz.
OSU Jazz Orchestra, Solid Gold, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Tuesday 25s,an album from about a quarter-century ago.... 😁
“Tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer and his 17-piece ensemble perform ten numbers with an Afro-Cuban beat provided by percussionist Louis Bauzo.... This Afro-Cuban flavored effort serves as a strong change of pace for Mintzer's orchestra.” Scott Yanow/Allmusic.
This is a 1998 release, so part of the 25-year (plus one 😁) retrospective. Album Discogs. Bob did ~15 albums with his big band from 1987 through 2018. Big band Discogs. Bob's Discogs ; website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic.
Bob Mintzer Big Band, Latin From Manhattan, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Bob Mintzer earned a post below about 3 albums he did while guest musical director of the WDR Big Band: Jackets XL, Soundscapes and Drop Shot.
Tuesday 25s 😁 an album from a quarter-century ago....
A recent tribute post to pianist/composer/arranger/bandleader Toshiko Akiyoshi mentions her husband, tenor saxophone and flute virtuoso Lew Tabackin.
"Lew Tabackin's guest appearance with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra
(NMO) is one of the most enjoyable in their series of collaborations with
jazz soloists.... This is a very well-crafted release," Ken Dryden/Allmusic. Album Discogs.
Lew has released at least 30 albums as leader and with Toshiko. He's been a pro since 1962, and was in the bands of television hosts (USA) Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson. Lew, 84 now, still plays regularly in NYC, just did a tour with his trio in Japan, where he plans a 2025 Japan tour with Toshiko, who just turned 95, as a duo! My jazz heroes! 😍 Lew's: website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.
The NMO, now called the Metropole 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. NMOs: website; Wikipedia ; Discogs. A post below is about their 2024 Grammy-nominated album with arranger Vince Mendoza, Olympians.
Grammy-nominated saxophonist/composer/arranger/bandleader Remy Le Boeuf appears on at least two 2024 releases.
"Remy Le Boeufsees with a panoramic outlook as a bandleader, composer, and performer, and that fact rests at the heart of Heartland Radio." Dan Bilawsky/AllAboutJazz. This is the 3rd Assembly Of Shadows release.
Remy LeBoeuf's Assembly Of Shadows, Heartland Radio, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
Remy conducts and guests with the Nordkraft Big Band (NBB) on their new album Strangers To Ourselves.
NBB is based in Aalborg – the fourth largest city in Denmark, and a cultural hub in the Northern Jutland region of the country. NBB has released ~9 albums since 2016.NBBwebsite.
Nordkraft Big Band With Remy Le Boeuf , Strangers To Ourselves, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
A post below celebrates Remy Le Boeuf's two recent big band albums that earned various Grammy Award nominations: 2021s Architecture of Storms and 2019s Assembly of Shadows. Remy's website ; Discogs ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic.
Saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Jeff Coffin combines
traditional West African music and rhythms,
spirituals, and blues inOnly The Horizon.
Coffin assembled over 40 acclaimed musicians to perform the contemporary
music, with a cast that intermingles through the tunes. JazzViews review.
"Garland's compositions draw on a range of influences from jazz, classical,
pastoral, Turkish and free-form and are displayed in trio and orchestral
forms. His ability to compose, play and arrange musical narratives
makes him one of the most accomplished musicians in contemporary jazz." Neil Duggan/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs. This is '3rd stream,' a jazz-classical mix.
Saxophonist Tim Garland has released ~25 albums since 1988. He was in Chick Corea's Origin, and played with guitarist Ralph Towner, drummer Bill Bruford and composer John Dankworth. Tim's website ; Discogs ; YouTube
The album is a collaboration with Turkish visual artistEsra Kizir Gokcen, and has its own website. I believe the piece below is 'The Forever Seed: Autumn 1,' and is ~3m on a side.
For another big band album based on art, see a post below for the Vanessa Perica Orchestra, The Eye Is The First Circle, inspired by a work from painter Lee Krasner.
Tbh, Tim just conducts on some of the symphonic tunes, which are the Britten Sinfonia or the London Studio Orchestra. Tim plays on the album with his Lighthouse Trio, with pianist Gwilym Simcock and percussionist Asaf Sirkis. Enjoy an album tune with the trio, and Esra Kizir Gokcen's art. 😎
Tuesday 25s 😁 an album from a quarter-century ago....
"Saxophonist Phil Woods may be at his best when working over tunes familiar to his
audience. This collection of ten classic Porgy and Bess songs is just
such an instance... On this
occasion, Woods was accompanied by an excellent Italian big band." David Franklin/JazzTimes. Album Discogs ; Allmusic.
Alto saxophonist Phil Woods was a jazz giant active from the 1950s into the 2010s. He played in prominent 1950s big bands (Gil Evans Orchestra), and then primarily led his own groups later. He guested on and occasionally led big band albums throughout his career. Wikipedia ; Discogs ; Allmusic ; website.
Jazz Class Orchestra Meets Phil Woods, Porgy and Bess, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
San Francisco-based saxophonist Miguel Zenon's2024 albumGolden Cityearned a 2025 Grammy Award nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Recorded with a nonet, Zenon now has >20 Grammy/Latin Grammy nominations. He won Best Latin Jazz Album last year for his duet release with pianist Luis Pedromo, El Arte Del Bolero, Vol. 2.
"Thematically and instrumentally challenging and complex, featuring a
nonet heavy on the low-end brass (trombones, tuba, trumpet), Golden Cityis a triumph.... The album is Miguel Zenon at his creative peak." Dan McClenaghan/AllAboutJazz. Musicians include trumpeter Diego Urcola and trombonist Alan Ferber.
Retrospective 1974, with an album from a half-century ago… (Friday 50s 😁)
Thom Jurek/AllAboutJazz: “It's difficult to note in the 21st century just how forward-thinking this avant-garde big band was, and how completely innovative saxophonist Sam Rivers' compositions are…. It is an underrated masterpiece and among the most rewarding and adventurous listening experiences in the history of jazz.” A piano-less big band (Wikipediafor correct musicians).
This was Rivers’ ~6th of >30 albums from 1965 to 2005. Sam’s big band work earned him 2 Grammy nominations.Discogs.
Two of Sam's Grammy-nominated albums with the Rivbea Orchestra are posted below, for 'Retrospective 1999 - albums from a quarter-century ago...' Inspiration and Culmination.
Retrospective 1999, with an album from a quarter-century ago.
Culmination was avant-garde saxophonist/composer/arranger Sam Rivers second big band album of 1999. These were his first albums in ~20 years, and the first 2 of 4 total with the Rivbea Orchestra. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, as did Inspiration, a year earlier, which earlier earned a post below.
David Adler at AllAboutJazz: “You can practically hear the 70s loft scene come to life as Rivers and
the other strong soloists on this record — Steve Coleman, Greg Osby,
Gary Thomas, and Hamiet Bluiett among them — take turns navigating the
atonal contours of these compositions. Yet another elliptically eloquent
statement from Rivers, one of the most refreshingly radical improvisers
of our time.”
This is really nice big band, with a bit of a wildstreak. Rivers released >40 albums from 1965-2005, with a few seminal big band albums.Discogs.
'Rivbea' is a combo of Sam’s and his wife Beatrice's name, and she helps arrange.
Sam Rivers' Rivbea Orchestra, Culmination, full album: YouTube; Spotify
