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 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!
Here’s a concert from 23 January by The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with trumpeter Till Brönner. Chiara Civello - Vocals, Fausto Beccalossi - Accordion, Magnus Lindgren - Conductor & Arrangements.
German trumpeter/composer Till Brönner has released ~24 albums since 1994, with a Grammy nomination and multiple Echo Awards (~German Grammys to 2018). Till has been a professor at the College of Music Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden since 2009. Website. Discogs.
The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, also known as the ‘hr Big Band,’ is a project of Hessian Radio, Germany. They have released ~19 albums since 2007.YouTubechannel (please subscribe); website; Discogs. Their YouTube channel has >50 full concerts that were live streamed from the last 6 years. 😎
From the YouTube info: “The WDR BIG BAND plays his composition ‘Mel’ under the direction of Jim McNeely. Solos are played by Hans Dekker on drums and Paul Heller on tenor saxophone. Live recording of the concert ‘Past And Present’ in the Cologne Philharmonic (December 2023).”
Pianist/composer/arranger Jim McNeelyhas been involved with big bands since 1978, and has variously led the Vanguard & Danish Radio Jazz Orchestras and the HR Big Band. He’s also had long stints with saxophonists Phil Woods and Stan Getz. Jim has a Grammy and 12 nominations, with ~26 albums and ~18 of them big band.Website; Discogs.
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979, and have won 4 Grammys with 6 nominations.YouTubechannel (please subscribe); website; Discogs
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.
From the YouTube info: “The WDR BIG BAND plays ‘Big City Blues’ by Bob Brookmeyer under the direction of Jörg Achim Keller. Solos are played by Billy Test on piano, Ben Fitzpatrick on clarinet, Raphael Klemm on trombone and Rob Bruynen on trumpet. Live recording of the concert ‘Mr Mulligan's Concert Jazz’ at the Kölner Philharmonie (October 2023).”
Jörg Achim Keller is a German drummer who has played with the hr Bigband and the NDR Big Band. He is leader on 3 albums released with NDRBB from 2002-09. Discogs.
The WDR Big Band is a project of WDR Broadcasters in Cologne, Germany. They have released >75 albums since 1979, and have won 4 Grammys with 6 nominations.YouTubechannel (please subscribe); website; Discogs
Retrospective 1999, an album from 25 years or a quarter-century ago….
Richard Ginell/Allmusic: “A 52-minute big band suite modeled after Ellington's long-form essays, it purports to evoke the moods, sounds and feelings of a cross-country train trip with selections named after a train's various cars…. There is fine soloing all around in the hard bop tradition from Wessell Anderson, Victor Goines, Ted Nash & Walter Blanding, Jr. (saxes) and Wycliffe Gordon (trombone) …. One of Marsalis' better extended form essays.”
This was trumpeter/composer/arranger Wynton Marsalis’ ~51st of >100 albums since 1981. He has won 9 Grammys with 32 nominations. Discogs. Wikipedia. website.
The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO) originated in 1988, and Marsalis has directed since ‘91. LCJO has released ~18 albums since 2015, and >30 since 1992. Wikipedia; website; Discogs(incomplete). LCJO is a component of Jazz At Lincoln Center, NYC.
Wynton Marsalis & Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Big Train, full album: YouTube; Spotify
A 2023 big band album from LCJO saxophonist Victor Goines, The Woodlawn Suite, was the very first post of this blog, on 8 December 2023. More info about Victor in that post.
Jazz At Lincoln Center has a subscription video channel, called Jazz Live ($10 mo, $100 yr), and includes shows from Dizzy’s Club. Shows are live streamed and then available VOD. For $10 you get a ~half-dozen excellent live shows monthly.
Frustratingly, they only give access to a few of their back-log shows at-a-time, instead of full access to a treasure-trove of live jazz performances. Currently available, however, is a wonderful Toshiko Akiyoshi tribute concert from 2023, which features husband Lew Tabackin on sax, and the LCJO plays her big band charts.
Coincidentally, on Friday, May 3, 8 pm/2000h EDT, the LCJO and Wynton Marsalis perform(ed) Duke Ellington At 125. That’s 2 enticements for big band jazz fans to try Jazz Live.
Here's a live performance of Big Train in its entirety from around release time. Video is a bit dated, but the sound is fine. 😎
From the YouTube info: “The WDR BIG BAND plays ‘Blueport’ (composer: Art Farmer / arranger: Al Cohn) under the direction of Jörg Achim Keller. Solos are played by Jens Neufang on baritone saxophone, Raphael Klemm on trombone, Paul Heller on tenor saxophone, John Goldsby on bass and Andy Hader on trumpet. Live recording of the concert ‘Mr Mulligan's Concert Jazz’ at the Kölner Philharmonie (October 2023).”
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 nice 2024 album was mentioned as a new release on 11 February below.
Thierry De Clemensat/Paris-Move: “This collaborative project, led by … pianist Garry Dial and … arranger-drummer Rich DeRosa, honors the great jazz educator Charlie Banacos, whose pedagogy has influenced generations of jazz musicians over the past 50 years. The album, consisting of 10 tracks, presents Banacos’ music reimagined and rearranged by Dial and DeRosa, performed by some of Banacos’ most accomplished disciples and friends…. A 100-page book accompanies the album, containing personal anecdotes, photographs, artistic renditions, and more.”
Guests include Jerry Bergonzi & Gary Smulyan (sax), Dick Oatts & Terrell Stafford (trumpet), Jeff Berlin (bass) and Mike Stern (guitar).
This is Dial’s ~7th album since 1988. DiscogsThis is DeRosa’s ~2nd release since 2012. Discogs.
Garry Dial & Rich DeRosa, Keep Swingin’ - The Music Of Charlie Banacos, full album: YouTube; Spotify; book @ Bookbaby
YouTube: “Featured on the new album LifeSongs…. Marshall Gilkes performs his composition ‘Sin Filtro’ together with the WDR BIG BAND. 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.YouTubechannel (please subscribe); website; Discogs; Wikipedia
