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 info links at: Wikipedia; website; Discogs; Bandcamp as available. Links to the full album on: basic/free YouTube; subscription Spotify; purchase download Bandcamp. Check your favorite service. Please enjoy!
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
The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.
The song 'Waltz of the Flowers' from this album was nominated for a 2023 Latin Grammy for Best Arrangement, Joe McCarthy & Vince Norman, arrangers. One last dash of holiday cheer. 😊
Richard J Salvucci/AllAboutJazz: “Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn did a jazz take on ‘The Nutcracker Suite’ in 1960… Drummer Joe McCarthy and arranger Vince Norman 2022 return to the original source, performed by the New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band… This Christmas album is distinctive, different, and delightful.” A 2022 release. ~39 minutes, like an old-school LP. Joe’s Discogs.
Joe McCarthy's Afro Bop Alliance Big Band, The Pan American Nutcracker Suite, full album: YouTube; Spotify
The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.
This won the 2023 Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Album, and Rafael Valencia won Best Arrangement for the song ‘Songo Bop!’
Dan Bilawsky/AllAboutJazz: “Blending elements sourced from numerous musical styles and languages including salsa, pop, samba, jazz and R&B, among others, multi-instrumentalist Camilo Valencia and drummer Richard Bravo create unique and flavorful dishes served hot by a rotating cast… Miami has so much music to share and influence to bear, and Camilo Valencia and Richard Bravo bring that truth to light for all to hear.” ~27 musicians rotate to provide most tunes with a big band on this 2022 release. This is a hot album!
Both their Discogs show this as their only release, but Camilo has arranged and played since 1979, and Richard since 1994. Camilo has a Latin Grammy and another nomination, while Richard has won 3 Latin Grammys with 5 more nominations. Camilo’s Discogs, Richard’s Discogs.
Camilo Valencia & Richard Bravo, Made In Miami, full album: YouTube; Spotify
The review of last year’s instrumental big-bandy Grammy nominees and winners continues. The 2024 Grammy Awards are February 4.
This was a 3rd nominee for last year’s (2023) Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Here’s links to posts below for the WDR Big Band with Steve Gadd et al Center Stage, and Grammy-winner Steven Feifke’s Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra.
From Matt Collar/AllMusic: "The 2nd album from alto saxophonist Remy Le Boeuf's big band … 2021's Architecture of Storms, is… an album of dazzling and nuanced modern creative jazz that conjures cinematic landscapes, both real and imagined."
This is Remy's 4th album, and 2 big band releases have earned him 4 Grammy nominations. The album tune ‘Minnesota, WI’ earned a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Arrangement (video above.) Remy’s: Wikipedia; Bandcamp; Discogs.
Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows, Architecture of Storms, full album: YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
His 2019 big band album, Assembly of Shadows, earned Grammy nominations for the tune ‘Strata’ for Best Instrumental Composition, and the tune ‘Honeymooners’ for Best Instrumental Arrangement.
WDRis a public broadcasting network based in Cologne, Germany. Besides television and radio stations, they sponsor several musical groups, one of which is the well-respected WDR Big Band. With their broadcasting connection, the band continually produces impeccably recorded performances, many of which areavailable on YouTube. The unit is absolutely prolific, and have released over 25 albums since 2013, often in collaboration with jazz stars. Website ; Discogs
They earned Grammy Award nominations for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2022 and 2023. The band partnered with drummer Steve Gadd, bari sax player Ronnie Cuber (RIP), and bassist Eddie Gomez on the album Center Stage, for their 2023 nod. The video above is an album tune performed in-studio.
Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band, Center Stage, full album: YouTube; Spotify
The big band’s collaborators for their 2022 nod were the all-time great band Yellowjackets, for Jackets XL. The album was inevitable, as Yellowjackets’ tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer has served as the big band's musical director, on and off, since 2014. The video is an in studio performance of an album tune.
Bob Mintzer did at least 1 other album with WDRBB, Soundscapes, in 2021. Jack Bower/AllAboutJazz: “A luminous showcase for his singular talents as composer, arranger and soloist… he will find a way to swing.” The video is the title track.
Pianist/vocalist Ricky Peterson joined Bob and the band for 2018s Drop Shot. Peterson recorded multiple albums with Prince and played with saxophonist David Sanborn for ~20 years. This was his 5th as leader.
Ricky Peterson with Bob Mintzer & WDR Big Band, Drop Shot, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Happy New Year everyone! The Grammy Awards are 4 February 2024. This continues the overview of last year's nominees, winners and associated albums.
Jim Hynes/MakingAScene!: “Catalyst is the new album for Steven Feifke, where he does all the heavy lifting as pianist, composer, arranger, orchestrator, bandleader, and producer. Feifke became the youngest ever Grammy winner for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2023… Catalyst will only further his growing reputation, especially as an arranger.”
This is his ~7th album since 2015 (5 big band), plus alotta session jobs, and work with saxophonist Alexa Tarantino. He is all of 32 years old… Wikipedia. Discogs is disorganized. The YouTube link for this album has 8 of the 10 tunes played live-in-studio.
Steven Feifke, Catalyst, full album: free YouTube; Spotify
Here is his Grammy-winner album Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (GGJO).
The album cover shows the quality players involved. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: "GGJO, co-led with trumpeter par excellence Bijon Watson, is a 17-member ensemble comprisingseasoned players paired with young lions whose … debut album is sharp and radiant from start to finish. " A Zoom performance of the 3rd album tune is shown.
Steven Feifke & Bijon Watson, Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, full album: free YouTube; Spotify; Bandcamp
His 2021 big band album Kinetic is aptly titled. This was the 1st of his hat-trick of excellent big band jazz albums! Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “Feifke's intense and high-powered charts neatly pave the way, giving the band a well-drawn road map on which to shape its dynamic course.” The YT link has videos of the entire album played live-in-studio, with the title-tune shown below.
Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: "...Red Beats is a swinging album deftly performed by drummer Steve Fidyk's fashionably named Live Wire Broad Band… The album itself consists of nine of Fidyk's multi-layered and high-powered compositions. Trumpeter Tim Leahey, leads the parade ... and is superb, as is veteran tenor saxophonist ... Walt Weiskopf."
Fidyk: has been active since 1991; released ~15 albums with the U.S. Army Blues; ~6 releases of his own; has lotsa studio and big band experience; is a prominent music educator. Steve’s Bandcamp; Discogs.
Steve Fidyk & the Live Wire Broad Band, Red Beats, full album: YouTube; Spotify
A retrospective of albums from 50 and 25 years ago begins with one 1973 entry. Have a listen to this beauty from saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
Thom Jurek/Allmusic: “Soul Box has Creed Taylor's production enhanced by a symphony orchestra and full-blown jazz band arranged and conducted by Bob James. Some of the session men include bassist Ron Carter, drummer Billy Cobham, guitarist Eric Gale, drummer Idris Muhammad, percussionist Airto, and keyboardist Richard Tee… Soul Box is a modern classic for its instrumental and arrangement invention and for its deeply emotional bounty.”
This was his 3rd of his 25 albums, from 1972-99. This was a double-album, over an hour of Grover’s finest. Much of Grover's late work is often considered ~smooth jazz, but his early albums were wonderful jazz. A Grover concert was an absolute joy to behold.Discogs.
Grover Washington, Jr., Soul Box, full album: YouTube; Spotify
This was nominated for a 2023 Latin Grammy Award for Best Jazz Album.
Pianist/arranger/composer William Maestre has been active in Colombian jazz since the 1980s. Discogs lists an EP from 2007 with his band Magenta, active since 1993, but his bio insinuates other recordings. He is a professor at Universidad El Bosque, in Bogotá, Colombia.
This was posted about the album on a YouTubeinterview: “Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Semblanzas, the first production of the William Maestre Big Band. This extraordinary album is the result of a research project supported by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research and the musical training program of El Bosque University. We explore the captivating rhythms of the Colombian Caribbean, immersing ourselves in the unique interpretation of the mooring drums and their vivid traditions such as the bullerengueand the tumbara. We have achieved a surprising fusion, combining traditional instruments with a contemporary orchestra, creating a rich melodic and harmonic mix inspired by jazz. This album includes seven instrumental tracks and an exciting composition in a reduced instrumental format.”
William Maestre Big Band, Semblanzas, full album: YouTube; Spotify
Trombonist/composer/arranger/bandleader/U of Texas-Arlington professor Ryan Haines released his 4th album with his big band, Emerald and Sapphire. He wrote all but 1 tune, 4 of which were originally penned for his saxophonist wife Courtney’s 2017 album Saxophone Barbie, who also plays on his album, as he did on hers. Ryan is a music professor at Arizona State University.
Prominent players are trumpeters Kevin Burns, Pete Clagett and guest Wayne Bergeron, trombonist Alex Dubrov, tenor David Lown, guitarist Davey Mooney and drummer Stockton Helbing. Jack Bowers/AllAboutJazz: “Emerald and Sapphire readily lives up to the high standards set on Haines' first three albums. A delicious big-band smorgasbord.” The big band does a smokin’ album tune in a Zoom performance. The band at Discogs.
Ryan Haines Big Band, Emerald and Sapphire, full album: freeYouTube ; Spotify
Info is sparse for Courtney’s debut and only album, but it’s a solid straight-ahead/smooth album, with a tight band. Give a listen to the fine efforts from a couple dedicated to jazz . 😎
Courtney Haines, Saxophone Barbie, full album: freeYouTube ; Spotify
