Vanguard Jazz Orchestra - 'Centennial: The Music of Thad Jones'

The Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra (TJMLJO) morphed into the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (VJO) in 1990, has been in existence since 1965, and has won a Grammy by each name with 16 more nominations.

Trumpeter Thad Jones co-led the band through 1978, and a new VJO album celebrates his charts on Centennial. This is a 2 hour live show at the Village Vanguard in New York, where the orchestra has been in Monday-night residency for over 50 years! Album review at JazzWeekly.

The TJMLJO's 1974 double Grammy-nominated album Potpourri earned a post below, as part of a half-century retrospective. VJO Discogs. TJMLJO Discogs.

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Centennial: The Music Of Thad Jones, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp.

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

Peter Vuust & Aarhus Jazz Orchestra - 'New Views'

"Fresh charts on navigable waters," wrote George Harris at JazzWeekly. This is bassist Peter Vuust's 8th release, first with a large ensemble.

Peter has a day job as a music professor at Aarhus University, Denmark. Peter's Google Scholar page.

The Aarhus Jazz Orchestra (AJO) was incorporated in 1977 as the Kluvers Big Band (KBB), and has released >30 albums since 1990.  AJO: website ; Discogs ; YouTube. KBB Discogs.

Peter Vuust & Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, New Views, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

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

Sam Rivers' Rivbea Orchestra - ‘Culmination’

Retrospective 1999, with an album from a quarter-century ago.

Culmination was avant-garde saxophonist/composer/arranger Sam Rivers second big band album of 1999. These were his first albums in ~20 years, and the first 2 of 4 total with the Rivbea Orchestra. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, as did Inspiration, a year earlier, which earlier earned a post below.

David Adler at AllAboutJazz: “You can practically hear the 70s loft scene come to life as Rivers and the other strong soloists on this record — Steve Coleman, Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, and Hamiet Bluiett among them — take turns navigating the atonal contours of these compositions. Yet another elliptically eloquent statement from Rivers, one of the most refreshingly radical improvisers of our time.”

This is really nice big band, with a bit of a wild streak.  Rivers released >40 albums from 1965-2005, with a few seminal big band albums. Discogs.

'Rivbea' is a combo of Sam’s and his wife Beatrice's name, and she helps arrange.

Sam Rivers' Rivbea Orchestra, Culmination, full album: YouTube ; Spotify

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

Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra - 'Tidal Currents: East Meets West'

Jack Bowers at AllAboutJazz wrote, "The Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra (WJO) has engaged two of that country's leading jazz composers, Jill Townsend and Christine Jensen, to present in musical terms impressions of places that have a special meaning to them... A superb album with no discernible flaws," except it is a bit short.

Full album at YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp.

This is the WJOs seventh release since 1997. Discogs (not up to date) ; website.

On the Spotify playlists Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024.

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David Liebman & The CNY Jazz Orchestra - 'If A White Horse From Jerusalem...'

"The mix of Semitic and swing is as delicious as za’atar on bread," wrote George Harris at JazzWeekly.

Saxophonist Dave Liebman has released >200 albums since 1973. Wikipedia ; Discogs ; website. 

The Central New York, or CNY Jazz Orchestra was formed in 1996 by the CNY Jazz Arts Foundation and has released at least 4 albums. website

Dave Liebman & The CNY Jazz Orchestra, If A White Horse From Jerusalem..., full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp.

Added to Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 at Spotify/JazzTodayish.

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Dan Pugach Big Band - 'Bianca Reimagined'

Drummer Dan Pugach released this album twice this year, earlier as just Bianca, and recently as Bianca Reimagined, with 2 songs and an alternate version added. The reimagined version earned two 2025 Grammy Award nominations: Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, and Best Jazz Performance for the tune 'Little Fears.' Review AllAboutJazz.

Mostly instrumentals, vocals on acoupla tunes by his wife Nicole Zuraitis. She earned a Grammy nomination with Dan in 2018 for Best Arrangement for Instruments and Vocals for the tune 'Jolene' on Dan Pugach Nonet Plus One. Dan's website.

Full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp.

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

Here's a live album tune:

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William Cepeda - 'The Sound Of Puerto Rican Jazz'

"If you’re looking for some new, fresh and exciting sounds, this big band album led by trombonist William Cepeda is going to knock your socks off," wrote George Harris at JazzWeekly. William's website.

Full album: YouTube ; Spotify.

Added to Big Band 2024 and Jazz Best Albums 2024 at Spotify/JazzTodayish.

Several of the album tunes have nice live performances on William's YouTube channel:

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Steve Lehman & Orchestre National De Jazz - ‘Ex Machina’

Here's a somewhat futuristic 2023 release.

The Orchestre National De Jazz is a progressive French big band that has released ~35 albums since 1986. Their latest endeavors delve into prog-rock and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted compositions. Discogs ; website ; YouTube ; Bandcamp

Their 2023 album Ex Machina, with composer/saxophonist Steve Lehman, used an AI program as a pre-compositional tool. Karl Ackermann/AllAboutJazz: “ Seamlessly incorporated with acoustic and electronic instrumentation, the elements blend together as … a baffling and beautiful juggling act.”

This is Steve Lehman's ~6th album since 2005. Discogs ; website ; Bandcamp

Steve Lehman & Orchestre National De Jazz, Ex Machina, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp.

This is on Big Band 2023 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish. 😎

Fredrik Nordström - ‘Big Band Stories’

Here’s a nice 2024 release.

Big Band Stories is saxophonist Fredrik Nordström’s 2nd big band album. Mark Corroto/AllAboutJazz: “Nordström's gift is his ability to leave space in this music for the solos to develop…. While Nordström solos on six tracks, he also gives generous attention to the skilled ensemble players assembled.” The band is ~northern European players.

Fredrik has released >13 albums since 2000, with Vibb, in 2007, his other big band release. Website. Discogs.

Fredrik Nordström, Big Band Stories, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

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

WDR Big Band & Mark Lettieri - Complete Concert YouTube

The WDR Big Band posted this concert from January 2024.

YouTube: “The WDR BIG BAND performs the concert program ‘The Rhythm Side Of Things’ together with Mark Lettieri on guitar, Billy Test on B3 and Rhodes, Wes Stephenson on electric bass, Daniel Porter on keyboards and Jason ‘JT’ Thomas on drums. Lettieri has found the perfect algorithm for funk: He fuses the influences of rhythm and rock guitar icons from the 70s and 80s. Now, for the first time, the guitar virtuoso meets the WDR Big Band under the direction of bandleader Jörg Achim Keller. The arrangements are by Mike Abene. Recorded live in Cologne's Stadtgarten.”

Mark Lettieri plays guitar and is an original member of the band Snarky Puppy, who have 5 Grammys with 5 nominations. He has released 8 solo albums since 2011. His 2021 album Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2 was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. Website ; Discogs; YouTube.

A post below from 7 January recommends Snarky Puppy’s 2022 Grammy-nominated album Empire Central, with Mark.

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. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs

Four posts below about seven 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.  😎