Pianist, big band composer/arranger, Grammy Award winner Steven Feifke posted his tune ‘I’ve Got Algorithm’ recently, with Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson's Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.
YouTube: “The longstanding tradition … of hiring the ‘young guns’ for an ensemble has all but disappeared in recent years... With more than two decades between them, Steven and Bijon make the objective of ‘The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra’ to strengthen that tradition of mentorship that has shaped and defined the jazz idiom since its earliest beginnings.”
From the New Trier Jazz Festival, Winnetka, IL, USA, 3 February 2024. See YouTube for band-members.
A post below celebrates Steven Feifke’s last 3 big band albums and Grammy Award: Catalyst; Generation Gap Orchestra; Kinetic.
Two of Feifke’s band-members released big band albums discussed below:
Trombonist Javier Nero Kemet: The Black Land.
Trumpeter Derrick Gardner Still I Rise. 😎
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Steven Feifke & Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra - YouTube song - ‘I’ve Got Algorithm’
Big Band 2024 new albums.
Garry Dial & Rich DeRosa, Keep Swingin’. Paris Move .
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘Lennie Groove’
The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘Lennie Groove’ recently. It is a Turner composition, arranged by Jim McNeely, Christine Jenson conductor. This band is also known as the ‘hr Big Band.’
This is from an almost 2 hour concert available here on YouTube, from 9 March 2023. The show is being posted song-by-song, evidently.
The hr Big Band / Frankfurt Radio Big Band is a project of Hessian Radio, Germany. They have released ~19 albums since 2007. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs 😎
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Back In The Groove’
Here’s a tune from an album discussed 5 posts down on 7 February.
YouTube: “Featured on the new album LifeSongs…. Marshall Gilkes performs his composition ‘Back In The Groove’ together with the WDR BIG BAND. Solos are played by Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone and Billy Test on piano. Recorded as part of the concert ‘Fresh Start’ at WDR JAZZCLUB / Cologne in November 2022.”
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs ; Wikipedia
Posts below about WDR Big Band albums: with trombonist Marshall Gilkes; 4 albums of Steve Gadd et al & Bob Mintzer collaborations; with arranger Chuck Owens; with bassist Ron Carter. 😎
Friday, February 9, 2024
Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘It’s Not Alright With Me’
The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘It’s Not Alright With Me’ recently. It is a Turner composition, arranged by Jim McNeely, Christine Jenson conductor. This band is also known as the ‘hr Big Band.’
This is from an almost 2 hour concert available here on YouTube, from 9 March 2023. The show is being posted song-by-song, evidently.
The hr Big Band / Frankfurt Radio Big Band is a project of Hessian Radio, Germany. They have released ~19 albums since 2007. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs 😎
Doug Beavers - ‘Luna’
Retrospective 2020s. Here's a nice 2023 album.
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, TÃpica ’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.
Doug Beavers, Luna, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
This is on Jazz Best Albums 2023 and Big Band 2023 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Cora’s Tune’
Here’s a song from an album discussed just 2 posts below on 7 February.
YouTube: “Featured on the new album LifeSongs…. Recorded November 2022 in the WDR Funkhaus Studio 4, Cologne, Germany.”
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs ; Wikipedia
Posts below about WDR Big Band albums: with trombonist Marshall Gilkes; 4 albums of Steve Gadd et al & Bob Mintzer collaborations; with arranger Chuck Owens; with bassist Ron Carter. 😎
Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘Brother Sister II’
The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘Brother Sister II’ recently. It is a Turner composition, arranged by Jim McNeely, Christine Jenson conductor. This band is also known as the ‘hr Big Band.’
This is from an almost 2 hour concert available here on YouTube, from 9 March 2023. The show is being posted song-by-song, evidently.
The hr Big Band / Frankfurt Radio Big Band is a project of Hessian Radio, Germany. They have released ~19 albums since 2007. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs 😎
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - ‘Life Songs’
Time for a 2024 release. Based on the December & January posts below, it is wholly appropriate that it is from this band.
Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “Marshall Gilkes spent the years 2010-13 in the WDR Big Band trombone section, shortly before he and the ensemble released Koln in 2015 [2x Grammy nominated] and Always Forward in 2018…. This is big-band jazz at its peak, marvelously written by Gilkes and masterfully performed by the impressive WDR Big Band.”
Soloists include: Billy Test, piano; Andy Haderer, trumpet; Johan Horlen & Paul Heller, saxes; fellow trombonists Ludwig Nuss, Raphael Klemm and Andy Hunter. The video is an album tune performed in-studio.
This is Marshall’s 7th album since 2008. He did a 4th big band album with the United States Air Force Band Airmen Of Note, The Jazz Heritage Series 2018 Radio Broadcasts, with drummer Peter Erskine and other guests. Marshall's Discogs ; website
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band, LifeSongs, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
This is on Jazz Best Albums 2024 and Big Band 2024, at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.
Posts below about WDR Big Band albums: 4 albums of Steve Gadd et al & Bob Mintzer collaborations; with arranger Chuck Owens; with bassist Ron Carter. 😎
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Billy Childs - ‘The Winds Of Change’ & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Dance Of Shiva’
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. YouTube channel (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
Billy Childs, The Winds of Change, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
Winds is on Jazz Best Albums 2023, Grammy Jazz 2023 and Jazz 2023 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎
