Aarhus Jazz Orchestra - YouTube song - ‘Glasgow Kiss'

The Aarhus Jazz Orchestra posted the tune ‘Glasgow Kiss’ on 16 Jan.  

This is translated from the YouTube video info:

“Every month, the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra presents a new digital concert video, consisting of a number from one of the orchestra's previous concerts or sessions from the rehearsal room. This time we present an excerpt from Caledonian Crossroads together with the Randers Chamber Orchestra. Remember to subscribe to the Aarhus Jazz Orchestra's YouTube channel, so you can sit in the front row when the orchestra presents new, digital jazz experiences every month.” From Aarhus, Denmark.

Link to their: YouTube site ; website ; Discogs

Don Sebesky - ‘Joyful Noise’ & ‘I Remeber Bill’ & ‘Giant Box’

The emphasis here is contemporary large ensemble jazz. However, to illustrate the timelessness of this wonderful musical form, an occasional series of albums from a quarter-century and a half-century ago will be recommended. Here’s a gem from 1999, and 2 earlier, all with Grammy wins or nominations.

Don Sebesky arranged for hundreds of artists, including Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, John Pizzarelli, Michael Buble, Liza Minnelli, Seal, and Prince. 3 Grammy Awards, plus 31 more nominations, 1 Tony Award and 2 nominations, his career began as a trombonist in 1956. He passed away in 2023.

He only released ~16 albums under his own name. A nice one is 1999s Joyful Noise: A Tribute To Duke Ellington. Michael Nastos/Allmusic is succinct: "Of all the tributes to Ellington, this is the best, a magnum opus to the maestro from a man and his band who are well aware of his grandeur, plus how to play all the right notes." This album won him 2 of his 3 Grammy Awards in 1999: Best Instrumental Composition for ‘Joyful Noise Suite,’ and Best Instrumental Arrangement for ‘Chelsea Bridge.’ Don’s: website ; Discogs.

Don Sebesky, Joyful Noise: A Tribute To Duke Ellington, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

His 3rd Grammy was also for a big band tribute album, 1998s I Remember Bill: A Tribute To Bill Evans. He won Best Instrumental Arrangement for ‘Waltz for Debby.’ The YouTube link is the album on one file, with a ~10 minute Bill Evans interview at the end, and sounds fine.

Don Sebesky, I Remember Bill: A Tribute To Bill Evans, full album: YouTube

Here’s his album from a half-century - plus one - ago, Giant Box, from 1973. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance By A Big Band in 1975.

Richard S. Ginell/Allmusic: “The lineup reads almost like a gathering of the gods: Freddie Hubbard, Randy Brecker/tr; Hubert Laws/flu; Paul Desmond, Joe Farrell, Grover Washington, Jr./sax; Milt Jackson/vb; George Benson/gtr; Bob James/kb; Ron Carter/bs; Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham, Airto Moreira/dr & pc; Jackie Cain, Roy Kral/voc. Thankfully the music lives up to the billing… Giant Box still ranks as a sensational coup.”

Don Sebesky, Giant Box, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Joyful Noise is on Jazz Best Albums 1999 and Giant Box is on Jazz Best Albums 1973 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

WDR Big Band - YouTube song - Gerry Mulligan’s ‘Swing House’

The WDR Big Band posted this tune yesterday from the concert "Mr Mulligan's Concert Jazz" at the Kölner Philharmonie (October 2023):

Posts below about WDR Big Band releases: 4 albums of Steve Gadd et al & Bob Mintzer collaborations; a collaboration with arranger Chuck Owens; a collaboration with bassist Ron Carter. 😎

Hilario Duran & his Latin Jazz Big Band - ‘Cry Me A River’

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

This is on Jazz Best Albums 2023, Grammy Jazz 2023 and Big Band 2023, at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎 

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band - ‘Raymond Scott Reimagined’

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

This is on the Grammy Jazz 2023 and Big Band 2023 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎 

John Beasley - & SWR Big Band ‘Bird Lives’ & ‘MONK’estra Plays John Beasley’

A review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners follows below. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.

Here’s a nominee for the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

SWR is a public radio broadcaster in Stuttgart, Germany, and sponsors The SWR Big Band, which has released ~55 albums since 1997, many in collaboration with jazz giants.Their 2022 album Bird Lives, with pianist John Beasley as arranger, earned an album nod, plus 2 others.

Beasley won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement for the album tune ‘Scrapple From The Apple.’ The tune ‘Cherokee/Koko’ was nominated for Best Jazz Performance. This was SWR’s 3rd nomination, Beasley’s 12th and 2nd win. SWR Discogs. Beasley’s website ; Discogs.

Magnus Lindgren, John Beasley & SWR Big Band, Bird Lives, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

John Beasley's previous large ensemble project, MONK'estra Plays John Beasley, was nominated for the same award in 2021. The tune ‘Dona Lee’ won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

John Beasley, MONK'estra Plays John Beasley, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Bird Lives is on Grammy Jazz 2022 and Big Band 2021 and Monkestra is on Big Band 2020 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Posts below for other Best Album nominees: Ron Carter & the Jazzaar Festival Big Band Remembering Bob Freedman; Remy LeBouf Architecture Of Storms; the WDR Big Band & Steve Gadd et al Center Stage; Grammy-winner Steven Feifke Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.  

 ~30 Large Jazz Ensemble album recommendations so far...😎

Ron Carter - ‘Remembering Bob Freedman’ & ‘My Personal Songbook’ & ‘Ron Carter’s Great Big Band'

The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.

Ron Carter and the Jazzaar Festival Big Band released Remembering Bob Freedman, and earned a nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The Jazzaar Festival is a spring Swiss jazz-fest that has run since ~1997, with an emphasis on jazz education and youth.

From the festival website: "The album features the bass legend Ron Carter with acclaimed jazz instrumentalists trumpeter Ryan Quigley, saxophonist Antonio Hart, trombonist Jason Jackson, pianist Donald Vega, and drummer Carl Allen, as seasoned role models for twelve selected aspiring young jazz musicians from the Swiss music scene that completed the big band… The production was a long-awaited collaboration between Jazzaar Festival producer, Bob Freedman, and Ron Carter, which took a sudden tragic turn when Bob sadly passed away in the middle of planning." Hence, the album title. Ron’s: website ; Discogs. Freedman’s Discogs.

Ron Carter & the Jazzaar Festival Big Band, Remembering Bob Freedman, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Ron Carter has 2 previous big band albums. Both are worth a listen, as are most Ron Carter projects.

From the album’s press-release: “Ron Carter chose ten pieces and … Richard DeRosa, principal conductor of the WDR Big Band, contributed the arrangements. The result is a sound, which pays attention to the lush big band tone as well as to the fine and sophisticated solo parts and allows both to fully bloom.” 2013 recordings released in 2016.

Ron Carter & WDR Big Band, My Personal Songbook, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

Here’s links to 2 other posts for 5 more WDR Big Band albums: Center Stage, Jackets XL, Soundscapes, Drop Shot and Renderings.

Ken Dryden/Allmusic: “Ron Carter is … the most recorded bassist in jazz [>2000 session credits]. In his 70s at the time of these sessions, he is very much still at the top of his game as he leads the first big-band date of his own, with potent arrangements by conductor Bob Freedman with some of New York's busiest musicians, including Jerry Dodgion, Steve Wilson, Wayne Escoffery, and Scott Robinson in the woodwind section, brass players Steve Davis, Douglas Purviance, and Greg Gisbert, plus pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Lewis Nash… With this delightful big-band date, the veteran bassist continues to surprise and delight listeners.” From 2011.

Ron Carter, Ron Carter’s Great Big Band, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Jazzaar is on Grammy Jazz 2022 and Big Band 2022 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.

Below are posts for other best album nominees: Remy LeBouf Architecture Of Storms; WDR Big Band & Steve Gadd et al Center Stage; Grammy-winner Steven Feifke Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.  😎

Pacho Flores & Orquesta Sinfonica De Mineria - 'Estirpe'

The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.

This album earned several classical music nominations at the 2023 Latin Grammys, but is a nice jazz + classical fusion, known as ‘3rd stream.’

The tune ‘Concerto Venezolano,’ written by saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera won for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. Paquito, who also guests, wrote the tune for trumpeter Pacho Flores.

The song ‘Crónicas Latinoamericanas’ was nominated for Best Arrangement, Daniel Freiberg, arranger. This was a Best Classical Music Album nominee also.

James Manheim/Allmusic: “The Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería … renders the Latin rhythms, and conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto has obviously drilled them well and created a strong sense of ensemble with the brilliant trumpeter Flores.”

This is Prieto’s ~17th release since 1999, Flores’ ~7th since 2009, and the Orquesta's ~27th since 1986. Prieto’s Discogs. The Orquestra’s Discogs.

Pacho Flores & Orquesta Sinfonica De Mineria, Estirpe, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

The album is on Jazz Best Albums 2022, Grammy Jazz 2022 and Big Band 2022 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

Snarky Puppy - 'Empire Central'

The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.

The band Snarky Puppy won their 5th Grammy Award in 2023, and 5 more nominations, for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, Empire Central. This Grammy category is often smooth jazz and jazz fusion. 

What is a Snarky Puppy? From Wikipedia: "The band was formed as a 10-piece group by bassist Michael League at the University of North Texas in 2004...The group has grown into an international super-band made up of '...a wide-ranging assemblage of musicians known affectionately as 'The Fam.' In more than 17 years since its founding, about 40 players have performed... in 'The Fam,' and 6 of the 10 original members are regulars." They rotate through 19 players on this album, and this is their ~39th release since 2005! Discogs.

The album was recorded, over several days, live in a club. For the video, at least, the feed is mixed and fed out to the crowd, who listen through wired headphones, somehow (!). A link to a YouTube playlist of 7 of the album tunes played live is included in addition to the usual album playlist.

Snarky Puppy, Empire Central, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; YouTube video playlist

This is on the Grammy Jazz 2022, Jazz Best Albums 2022, and Big Band 2022 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎

Orquesta Failde - 'Danzoneando (En Vivo Desde Matanzas)'

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

This is on the Grammy Jazz 2023 and Big Band 2023 playlists at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎