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 and album info links at: Wikipedia; website; Discogs; Bandcamp; Allmusic, as available/worthwhile. Links to the full album on: basic/free YouTube; subscription Spotify; purchase download Bandcamp, as available. Check your favorite service. Please enjoy!
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
Pianist Arturo O'Farrill leads the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, based in NYC. Arturo uploads a vlog to YouTube weekly, called ‘Virtual Birdland.’ Here’s a recent episode that features pandemic- related Zoom performances. They're wild because 18 musicians were coordinated to play from home, and is also how the namesake album was recorded.
YouTube: “Virtual Birdland is continuing for the beginning of 2024! Our Belongo/ALJA online content is changing, but we will continue to present on a regular basis. Tune in every Sunday at 8:30PM ET.
This week, we're revisiting some favorite selections from the Virtual Birdland CD, released on Zoho Music in 2021. Included are compositions by Arturo O'Farrill, Rafi Malkiel and the late, great Larry Willis.
The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra are: Arturo O’Farrill – Piano & Artistic Director. Saxes: Alejandro Aviles, Roman Filiu, Adison Evans, Ivan Renta, Jasper Dutz, Larry Bustamante. Trumpets: Seneca Black, Bryan Davis, Rachel Therrien, Adam O’Farrill, Walter Cano. Trombones: Rafi Malkiel, Mariel Bildsten, Abdulrahman Amer, Earl McIntyre. Vince Cherico – Drums, Bam Bam Rodriguez – Bass, Carlos “Carly” Maldonado – Percussion, Keisel Jimenez – Congas.”
The YouTube channel for Arturo’s vlog and the orchestra is Belongó | Afro Latin Jazz (please subscribe). This is episode 174, so the channel has many vlogs and performances.
Arturo has released ~21 albums since 1999, 8 with the orchestra. Arturo has 6 Grammys and 12 nominations (4 & 7 with the orchestra), to go with 2 Latin Grammys and 3 nominations (1 each with the orchestra). They won Grammys for Best Latin Jazz Album in 2021 and 2023, with a 2022 nomination. Quite a streak! Arturo’s Discogs; website.
The vlog namesake album Virtual Birdland earned a 2022 Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “It's an album that also touches a lot of bases, from Cuba to Morocco and beyond, embracing Brazilian and even Kuwaiti themes while employing Afro-Cuban rhythms, the samba, rhumba, bomba jazz and American swing to press home its point…. Even though this Birdland is virtual ... the spirit is no less ardent, and it shows.” Saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera guests and wrote the tune 'Samba for Carmen.'
Arturo O'Farrill, Virtual Birdland, full album: YouTube; Spotify
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
Here’s a concert from 11 May 2023 by The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonists Dick Oatts and Gary Smulyan and arranger/conductor Jim McNeely. See YouTube for a lot more info. This version re-masters the audio of the original livestream for improved sound.
The first tune 'Three And One' composed and arranged by Thad Jones:
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
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
George Harris/JazzWeekly: “Trombonist, composer and arranger Doug Beavers mixes medium and big sized bands on this sophisticatedly arranged album… Rich charts.”
From his website: “... perform, arrange and record for Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Christian McBride, Mingus Big Band, Ruben Blades, Típica ’73, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Paul Simon, Willie Colón, and countless others. As a leader, he’s recorded six critically acclaimed albums; his 2017 release, Art of the Arrangement, earned a Grammy nomination.”Doug's Discogs ; Bandcamp.
Time for a 2024 release. Based on the December & January posts below, it is wholly appropriate that it is from this band.
Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “Marshall Gilkes spent the years 2010-13 in the WDR Big Band trombone section, shortly before he and the ensemble released Koln in 2015 [2x Grammy nominated] and Always Forward in 2018…. This is big-band jazz at its peak, marvelously written by Gilkes and masterfully performed by the impressive WDR Big Band.”
Soloists include: Billy Test, piano; Andy Haderer, trumpet; Johan Horlen & Paul Heller, saxes; fellow trombonists Ludwig Nuss, Raphael Klemm and Andy Hunter. The video is an album tune performed in-studio.
This is Marshall’s 7th album since 2008. He did a 4th big band album with the United States Air Force Band Airmen Of Note, The Jazz Heritage Series 2018 Radio Broadcasts, with drummer Peter Erskine and other guests. Marshall's Discogs; website
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
Grammy January (see 2 posts below) includes some February.
The WDR Big Band posted this tune today. Pianist Billy Childs just won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his 2023 release The Winds Of Change.
From the YouTube info: “The WDR Big Band plays with Grammy winner Billy Childs on piano the latter's composition ‘Dance Of Shiva’ in an arrangement by Ansgar Striepens (conductor). Further solos are played by Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone and Hans Dekker on drums. Recorded live at the Kölner Philharmonie (February 2018).”
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
This is Billy's 6th Grammy Award with 17 nominations! He has released ~19 albums since 1985. Billy's Discogs; website
Below is a preview/recap of 28 albums for Grammy January.
Seven albums that were nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award; nine 2023/22/21 Grammy nominees; five 25/50 year retrospective albums that earned nominations; five nominees for a 2023 Latin Grammy.
Grammy January (see the post above) includes some February.
Today is the day for the 2024 Grammy Awards. Nominees are reviewed in posts below that run the month of January. Let’s reminisce before the show, with an album for the 50 year retrospective. This 1974 release won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band (best album).
Scott Yanow/Allmusic: “Of all the big-band leaders of the swing era, clarinetist Woody Herman went the most out of his way to interpret current material and keep his orchestra young, enthusiastic, and modern…. This is one of Herman's most successful efforts of the period.”
Soloists are tenor Frank Tiberi, flügelhorn Tony Klatka, and keyboards Andy Laverne. Songs by John Coltrane, Frank Zappa, Stanley Clarke and Carole King. Arrangements byAlan Broadbent, Bill Stapleton and Tony Klatka.
The video is a wonderful 1974 performance of Carole King’s ‘Corazon,’ from the album.
Woody won 3 Grammys (also 1974 & 1964), a Lifetime Achievement Grammy (1987), with 12 nominations. He released >110 albums from 1944-1987. Woody’s: Discogs
That’s alotta words for 37 minutes of music. Short, but sweet.
Woody Herman, Thundering Herd, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Grammy January (see 4 posts above) includes some February.
This album is nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The awards are on 4 February.
Katchie Cartwright/AllAboutJazz: “From the tensile strength of the first chord… Darcy James Argue's Secret Society's Dynamic Maximum Tension is a delight… There is more to report but, like Argue said, ‘Just close your eyes and listen to the damn thing.’"
This is Darcy’s 4th big band album since 2009, and all received nominations. The YT link’s 1st ~12 vids are this album, then abuncha older live performances by the band, including an entire ‘Jazz Night In America’ show. The video below is the live-in-studio 1st album tune. Darcy’s website; Discogs. Society’s Discogs.
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, Dynamic Maximum Tension, full album: YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
Here’s an album for the quarter-century retrospective, and Grammy-nominated. This 1999 release was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance (album).
A tribute to a 1966 Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn classic. Alex Henderson/AllMusic: “While Ellington's orchestra stuck to traditional instruments, [drummer Anthony] Brown's outfit combined them with various Asian and Middle Eastern instruments, which range from Chinese bamboo flutes to the daf (a Persian/Iranian drum) and the ney (a Middle Eastern flute). The end result is … fresh-sounding instead of clichéd.”
This was the Orchestra's 2nd of 4 albums from 1998 to 2010. Orchestra’s Discogs. This was Anthony’s 1st of 4 Grammy nominations. Anthony's Wikipedia.
Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra, Far East Suite, full album: YouTube; Spotify
BluesRockReview: “Mr. Basie said, ‘our blues will make your blues go away.’ Throughout Basie Swings The Blues The Count Basie Orchestra flows the album together with both mood-altering rhythms and horn exclamation points.”
Shemekia Copeland, Keb Mo, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Bettye LeVette, Charlie Musselwhite, George Benson and more do a vocal tune and play.
Trumpeter Scotty Barnhart has led the band since 2013, their 6th leader since Basie died in ‘84, and they’ve now won a Grammy with 2 nominations under his direction. The Count Basie Orchestra has been in ~continuous business since 1936! Orchestra’s website; Discogs
The video is the band swingin’ the blues from 1941. To record these guys with modern techniques….
The Count Basie Orchestra, Basie Swings The Blues, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Here’s an album for the ‘half-century retrospective,’ 1974, or 50 years ago. It is also Grammy discussion appropriate.
Scott Yanow/Allmusic: “With such notable sidemen as trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, Ron Bridgewater and Billy Harper on tenors, trombonist Quentin Jackson, baritonist Pepper Adams, keyboardist Roland Hanna, bassist George Mraz and lead trumpeter Jon Faddis, the music certainly has its moments of interest… With material by Stevie Wonder, Marian McPartland and four worthwhile originals by Jones.”
Thad Jones & Mel Lewisearned 1976 Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band (~best album), and Thad one for Best Instrumental Arrangement of ‘Living for the City.’ Discogs.
The Thad Jones - Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra morphed into the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in 1990, has been in existence since 1965, and has won a Grammy by each name with 16 more nominations.
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis, Potpourri, full album: YouTube ; Spotify
Enjoy ~45 minutes of the band from 1974 in Norway, with fine sound (and a drum solo 😣). Here's a list of the band: Thad Jones, flugelhorn; Jon Faddis, Steve Furtado, Jim Bossy, Cecil Bridgewater, trumpets; Jimmy Knepper, Billy Campbell, Quentin "Butter" Jackson, Dave Taylor, trombones; Jerry Dodgion, Ed Xiques, Billy Harper (rips the solo on the last tune), Ron Bridgewater, Pepper Adams, reeds; Walter Norris, piano; George Mraz, bass; Mel Lewis, drums. 😎
This is nominated for the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Album. The awards are on 4 February.
Richard Salvucci/AllAboutJazz: “Here you have intriguing arrangements, superb musicians, and atmospherics galore… Olympians was recorded remotely during the pandemic. It is yet another lovely artifact of a very troubled time.” Dianne Reeves and Cecile McLorin Salvant each sing a song, and saxophonists Chris Potter and David Binney help.
Composer/arranger Vince Mendoza led the Metropole Orkest from 2005-13, and occasionally since. He has 7 Grammys and 1 Latin Grammy with 38 more nominations. This is his ~27th album since 1989. Vince’s: website; Discogs; Bandcamp.
The Orkest has 4 Grammys and 2 Oscars, and has released >150 albums since 1952. They are a project of Netherlands Public Broadcasting, and are based in Hilversum. The Orkest’s: website; Discogs
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest, Olympians, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Added these albums to Big Band 2023, now ~85 albums, at Spotify/JazzTodayish. Check your streaming service, YouTube or Bandcamp. Abuncha good ones here.
The Flying Horse Big Band, A Message From The Flying Horse Big Band. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz gave this 5/5 stars.
Mario Corvini & New Talents Jazz Orchestra Play Enrico Pieranunzi, Entropy. Xango Music.
Hakan Brostrom & New Places Orchestra, Cosmic Friends. JazzBluesNews. 😎
This 2022 release is nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. The awards are on 4 February.
Album info from their website: “The flagship repertory ensemble Mingus Big Band (MBB) celebrated the 100th anniversary of Mingus’ birth with The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions. Highlights include 11 compositions and new arrangements, vocals and narrations by Charles’ son Eric Mingus, and 34 first-class musicians, rotating in MBB tradition.”
This is MBB’s ~11th album since 1993. They’ve won a Grammy with 6 more nominations. The MBB is a project of the Charles Mingus Institute. They play ~weekly at DROM in NYC. Discogs; website.
Mingus Big Band, The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions, full album: YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
Grammy January/February continues. This begins/ends a trio of Chick Corea posts (below): large ensembles, none with traditional big bands; 2 were tributes, not this one; 2 with Grammy nods. This 1999 release also fits in for the quarter-century retrospective.
Pianist/composer Chick Corea won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Arrangement for the version of his 1971 song ‘Spain,’ on this 1999 release with the London Philharmonic and his band Origin.
Chick Corea & London Philharmonic Orchestra, Corea: Spain & Piano Concerto No. 1, full album: YouTube; Spotify
