Here’s a song from an album discussed ~12 posts down on 7 February.
YouTube: “Featured on the new album LifeSongs…. Marshall Gilkes performs his composition ‘Middle Ground’ together with the WDR BIG BAND. Solos are played by Ludwig Nuss, Raphael Klemm and Peter Hedrich on trombones. 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. 😎
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Middle Ground’
Adam Schroeder & Mark Masters - ‘CT! Celebrate Clark Terry’
This nice 2024 album was mentioned as a new release ~6 posts below.
Connor McCormick/Stage and Cinema: “On CT!, baritone saxophonist and bandleader Adam Schroeder teams up with arranger Mark Masters to deliver [13 tunes] composed by renowned trumpeter Clark Terry…. The proof is in the playing, and CT! is full of the kinds of moments that Terry himself would have appreciated, created by a band full of people with a clear connection to the history of the music, to its future, and to one another.” Peter Erskine drums.
Baritone saxophonist Adam Schroeder … presently serves as an Associate Professor of Jazz & Commercial Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He’s a prolific studio musician with many album, television, and film credits. Website ; Discogs (old)
Trumpeter/arranger Mark Masters has >15 big band releases since 1984. His most recent before this was the Mark Masters Ensemble Masters & Baron Meet Blanton & Webster. Discogs 1 ; Discogs 2.
Adam Schroeder & Mark Masters, CT! Celebrate Clark Terry, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
This is on Jazz Best Albums 2024 and Big Band 2024 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Frankfurt Radio Big Band & Oatts / Smulyan / McNeely - Complete Concert YouTube
The first tune 'Three And One' composed and arranged by Thad Jones:
Their YouTube channel has >50 full concerts that were live streamed from the last 6 years!
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. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs
The whole show: 😎
Monday, February 12, 2024
Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Fresh Start’
Here’s a song from an album discussed ~10 posts down.
YouTube: “Featured on the new album LifeSongs…. Marshall Gilkes performs his composition ‘Fresh Start’ 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. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs ; Wikipedia
Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘Walking Ballad’
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 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. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs. 😎
The 14 Jazz Orchestra - ‘Islands’
Retrospective 2020s, a 2023 release.
Nicholas Mondello/AllAboutJazz: “Islands from Dan Bonsanti is a tour de force consisting of eleven unique selections, colorful textured arrangements, and outstanding ensemble and solo playing.”
The 14 Jazz Orchestra: Dan Bonsanti, composer/conductor; Ed Calle, Ed Maina, Peter Brewer, Mike Brignola, saxophones; Brett Murphey, Jason Carder, John Lovell, trumpet; Dana Teboe, Major Bailey, trombone; Mike Levine, piano; Lindsey Blair, guitar. Guests include Dave Liebman on sax, Peter Erskine on drums and Mike Mainieri on vibes.
This is the Orchestra’s 4th album since 2015. Discogs.
The 14 Jazz Orchestra, Islands, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
This is on Jazz Best Albums 2023 and Big Band 2023 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Steven Feifke & Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra - YouTube song - ‘I’ve Got Algorithm’
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. 😎
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 😎