Bob James &: Grover Washington Jr. - 'Mr. Magic'; Hank Crawford - ' Don't You Worry...' and his own - 'One'

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 album Jazz Hands received a 2024 Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. One Allmusic ; Discogs. Bob's website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.

Bob James, One, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

All of these are on Jazz Best Albums 1974 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

Terence Blanchard - 'Jazz In Film'

Tuesday 25s, an album from about a quarter-century ago ... 1999.  😉

"Terence Blanchard covers classic motion picture scores with an expressive jazz trumpet and approach to straight-ahead jazz on ... Jazz In Film. Scores ... are immersed in the world of jazz and resurface complete with Blanchard's imprint and eloquent style that is reminiscent of mid-'60s Miles Davis." Paula Edelstein/Allmusic.  

Covers of Duke Ellington (Anatomy of a Murder), Quincy Jones (The Pawn Broker), Jerry Goldsmith (Chinatown), Bernard Herrmann (Taxi Driver) and Elmer Bernstein (Man with the Golden Arm) and more. A band of: Bass – Reginald Veal; Drums – Carl Allen; Piano – Kenny Kirkland get some help from: Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson; Trombone – Steve Turre; Alto Saxophone – Donald Harrison. An orchestra supplements most tunes. Album Discogs.

Terence Blanchard is a New Orleans-born jazz trumpeter and film composer known for his close association with director Spike Lee. He has >80 film and television scores, has been nominated for 2 Academy Awards, has won 7 Grammy Awards with 16 nominations, and has an Emmy and BAFTA nomination. Website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs.

Terence Blanchard, Jazz In Film, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

This is on the Jazz Best Albums 1999 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

Norman David And The Eleventet - 'Intention'

"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.

Norman David And The Eleventet, Intention, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Another Philadelphia big band album, the Gardyn Jazz Orchestra - Vinyl Brews, was recommended just a few posts below.

This is on the Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎

Hendrik Meurkens &: CCCN Jazz Orchestra - 'Big Band Brasil'; WDR Big Band - 'Samba Jazz Odyssey'

Big band jazz and... harmonica? It works! Hendrik Meurkens leads 2 bands through 2 joyful albums. His 2024 album is with Costa Rica's CCCN Jazz Orchestra, led by drummer Carlomagno Araya. Album Discogs.

Hendrik has >30 releases, and this appears to be the 1st for the orchestra. His website ; Discogs ; Allmusic. CCCNJO website. Araya's Discogs. Hendrik's recent ~quintet release is The Jazz Meurkengers -- ya gotta love it. 😁

Hendrik Meurkens & CCCN Jazz Orchestra, Big Band Brasil, full album: YouTube (one big file) ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

This is on the Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Here's his 2022 album. "Combine Meurkens' superb playing and writing with Mossman and Franzetti's dazzling charts, flawlessly performed by the marvelous WDR Big Band, and you have the complete package. To put it another way, Latin-flavored big-band jazz simply doesn't get much better than this." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs.

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. Type "WDR" into the search box for alotta WDR Big Band album recommendations.

Hendrik Meurkens & The WDR Big Band, Samba Jazz Odyssey, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

This is on the Big Band 2022 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Hendrik leads the WDR Big Band in a tune from their album. 😎

Bill Frisell - 'Orchestras' & Henry Mancini - 'The 100th Sessions...'

The 2025 Grammy Awards are Sunday, 2 February. Besides the category of Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, jazzy orchestrations were nominated in 2 other categories.

Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for Orchestras, a live album with Alexander Hanson, the Brussels Philharmonic, Rudy Royston & Thomas Morgan. Bill has a Grammy, and this is his 8th nomination. Bill had a good year, as he also earned a nomination for the album Owl Song, which he co-led with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and drummer Herlin Riley, for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Bill Frisell, Orchestras, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

A jazzy tribute to composer Henry Mancini at the Hollywood Bowl had a tune nominated for Best Arrangement Of An Instrumental. Michael League arranged his tune "Baby Elephant Walk - Encore", for his band Snarky Puppy (SP), a rather large jazz fusion ensemble. League has 5 Grammys with SP and this is his 8th nomination.

Henry Mancini, The 100th Sessions: Henry Has Company, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

These are on Big Band 2024 at Spotify/JazzTodayish.  😎

Maynard Ferguson - 'Chameleon'

Friday 50s, an album from 1974, so about a half-century ago... 😁

"It features cover versions of many songs that were popular in the years leading up to its production, including 'Jet', 'The Way We Were' and 'Livin' for the City.'  Album Discogs. Wikipedia ; Allmusic.

This was Maynard’s ~32nd of >50 albums from 1955-2001. Maynard's: website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs. A post below is about his other 1974 release, M.F. Horn 4 & 5: Live At Jimmy's.

Maynard Ferguson, Chameleon, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

This is on the Jazz Best Albums 1974 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Maynard and the band perform the title track, with Brian Smith on sax. Vid is a bit imperfect. 😎

Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band - ‘Walk A Mile In My Shoe’

This was nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album at the upcoming 2025 Grammy Awards.

This is a vocal-based big band album. "As he has always done in the past Orrin Evans, the pianist and bandleader from Philadelphia, is inspired by tradition to renew and enrich, with passion and freshness. This time the orchestrations are functional to the interpretations of four prodigious singers who are divided into seven out of nine songs: Lisa Fischer, Bilal, Joanna Pascale and Paul Jost ." Angelo Leonardi/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs.

This is Evans' ~5th  Captain Black Big Band (CBBB) album since ~2011, and 3 earned Grammy nominations! Orrin has ~13 more total albums, since 2000. Evans' website ; Wikipedia ; Allmusic ; Discogs. CBBB Discogs.

Orrin Evans And The Captain Black Big Band, Walk A Mile In My Shoe, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

This is on the Big Band 2024 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Here's a mellow album tune with singer Paul Jost. 😎

Hyeseon Hong Jazz Orchestra - 'Things Will Pass' & 'Ee-Ya-Gi (Stories)'

"'A master musician who weaves dreams into vivid sonic landscapes, and turns sorrow and loss into enduring and endearing art.' That those landscapes traverse the musical terrain from the U.S. to Korea is icing on an already appetizing cake." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz. Album Discogs.

South Korean composer/arranger/bandleader Hyeseon Hong has arranged and fronted big bands in NYC for ~10 years now, and this 2024 release is her 2nd album. Discogs. No website, so Facebook.

Hyeseon Hong Jazz Orchestra, Things Will Pass, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

This is on the Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Her 2017 debut Ee-Ya-Gi (Stories) is a joy also. Trumpeter Ingrid Jenson guests, and saxophonist Rich Perry is featured on both albums. Album Discogs. 😎

Hyeseon Hong Jazz Orchestra, Ee-Ya-Gi (Stories), full album: YouTube

Roy Wiegand's big bands - ‘Stan: Big Sur’ & 'Whatever Floats Your (Boat) Bone'

Tuesday 25s, an album from 1999, or about a quarter-century ago.... 😉

"Trombonist Roy Wiegand’s ... big–band release ... is by far his best to date with radiant charts ... and intrepid blowing throughout by Wiegand and his companions." Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz.  Wiegand invited several Stan Kenton / Woody Herman alumni, such as himself, and saxophonist Bill Perkins, trumpeters Mike Vax and Buddy Childers, bassist Don Bagley and drummer Chuck Flores. Album Discogs.

Roy released 4 albums in a career that began in ~1955 in NYC. He also played in bands for Kai Windig, CBS, The Jackie Gleason Show, and then moved to Los Angeles to play in many film scores. Roy's website.

The Roy Wiegand Jazz Orchestra, Stan - Big Sur, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

This is on the Jazz Best Albums 1999 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

His 1996 album Whatever Floats Your Bone Boat is another fine album. Less-known players but they include Roy's son on trumpet. "This album ... may be the surprise big band release of the year, sporting virtuosic writing and soloing throughout..." Dan Weinstein/L.A. Jazz Scene. Album Discogs.

The Roy Wiegand Big Band, Whatever Floats Your Boat Bone, full album: YouTube ; Spotify 😎

Big Band 2024 still - 10 Albums

These are some 2024 big band/orchestral jazz releases that I won't get a chance to do a complete post on. Some are well-known jazz names. Generally less boisterous than my favorites, but might be right-up-your-alley, as they say. All are definitely worth a listen. 🎷

The goal is to at least mention all ~108 albums (hours) on Big Band 2024 at Spotify/JazzTodayish. 

The Danish Radio Big Band, XL-LX, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp (5 suites by 5 jazz composers, 1.75 hours, 5 vinyl records)

Herb Alpert, 50, full album: YouTube ; Spotify (Smooth jazzin' his formula for a 50th album, his 2013 and 2016 albums earned a Grammy & a nomination, and he owns one of Los Angeles' top jazz clubs. 😁)

Geoffrey Keezer, Open During Construction, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Mosaic, Where We Are Now, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

 Danilo Perez & Bohuslan Big Band, Lumen, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Geof Bradfield, Colossal Abundance, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

 John Hollenbeck & NDR Big Band, Colouring Hockets, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Chris Muller Big Band, Turning Thoughts, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp
 

Sointi Jazz Orchestra, J​ä​ä​hyväiset, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Terry Waldo & The Gotham City Band, Treasury, Vol. 1, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp 😎