Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band - ‘Life Songs’

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. YouTube channel (please subscribe); website ; Discogs

Marshall Gilkes & WDR Big Band, LifeSongs, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

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

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

Billy Childs - ‘The Winds Of Change’ & WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘Dance Of Shiva’

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. YouTube channel (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

Billy Childs, The Winds of Change, full album: YouTube ; Spotify ; Bandcamp

Winds is on Jazz Best Albums 2023, Grammy Jazz 2023 and Jazz 2023 at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘1946’

The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘1946’ 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  😎

Grammy January Preview/Recap

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.

The nominees for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album were (link to post):

• THE WINNER: The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Scotty Barnhart - Basie Swings the Blues!
• Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - Dynamic Maximum Tension
• Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest - Olympians
• Mingus Big Band - The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions
• ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vincent & Emilio Solla - The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute - Ritmo [Latin and USA Grammy nominations!]

Two big bands received nominations for an instrumental tune:

• Best Instrumental Composition: Gordon Goodwin & Raymond Scott - "Cutey and the Dragon" (Quartet San Francisco ft. Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
• Best Instrumental Arrangement: Hilario Duran- "I Remember Mingus" (Hilario Duran & his Latin Jazz Big Band ft. Paquito D'Rivera)

2023 Best Large Jazz Ensemble album nominees:

• Steven Feifke - Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra (winner) & Kinetic (2022 nominee)
• Steve Gadd, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber & WDR Big Band, Center Stage & Jackets XL (2022 nominee)
  
• Remy Le Bouf - Architecture Of Storms & Assembly Of Shadows (2022 nominee)
• John Beasley - & SWR Big Band Bird Lives & MONK’estra Plays John Beasley (2021 nominee)
• Ron Carter - Remembering Ron Freedman

Retrospective 1999 nominees:

• Don Sebesky - Joyful Noise: A Tribute To Duke Ellington = Wins for 2 songs in 2000.
• I Remember Bill: A Tribute To Bill Evans = song win 1999
• Giant Box = 1975 album nominee
  
• Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra - Far East Suite = 2000 album nominee
• Chick Corea & London Symphony Orchestra - Corea: Spain & Piano Concerto No. 1 = a 2000 song win.

Retrospective 1974 nominees:

• Woody Herman - Thundering Herd = Best Album in 1975!
• Thad Jones & Mel Lewis - Potpourri = 1976 album nominee

 

 

Here’s large ~instrumental ensembles that earned a win/nomination at the 2023 Latin Grammys.

• Best Instrumental Album, winner: Camilo Valencia & Richard Bravo - Made In Miami
• Best Arrangement, winner: Rafael Valencia for ‘Songo Bop’ [2022]
• Best Jazz Album: William Maestre Big Band - Semblanzas
• Best Traditional Tropical Album: Orquesta Failde – Danzoneando (En Vivo Desde Matanzas)
• Best Arrangement: Joe McCarthy & Vince Norman – "Waltz of the Flowers" (Joe McCarthy's New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band) [2022]
• and Daniel Freiberg – "Crónicas Latinoamericanas," Pacho Flores & Orquesta Sinfonica De Mineria - Estirpe [2022]
• Best Instrumental Album: ADDA Simfònica, Josep Vicent & Emilio Solla – The Chick Corea Symphony Tribute: Ritmo [Latin and USA Grammy nominations!]
• Best Arrangement: Emilio Solla – "Spain"  😎
  

Woody Herman - ‘Thundering Herd’

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 by Alan 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

This is on the Jazz Best Albums 1974 playlist at Spotify/Jazz Todayish.  😎

Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘Sonnet For Stevie’

The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘Sonnet For Stevie’ recently. It is a Turner composition, arranged by conductor Christine Jenson. 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  😎 

Frankfurt Radio Big Band with Mark Turner - YouTube song - ‘Lincoln Heights’

The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, with saxophonist Mark Turner, posted the tune ‘Lincoln Heights’ recently. It is a Turner composition, arranged by Jim McNeely. Christine Jenson conducts. 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 .  😎

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - ‘Dynamic Maximum Tension’

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

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

WDR Big Band - YouTube song - ‘The Blues Ain't Necessarily Bad’

The WDR Big Band posted this tune recently. 

From the YouTube info: “The WDR BIG BAND plays ‘The Blues Ain't Necessarily Bad’ by Slide Hampton. Solos are played by Andy Haderer on trumpet, Raphael Klemm on trombone and John Goldsby on bass. The WDR Big Band is conducted by Stefan Pfeifer-Galilea. Produced in September 2021 at WDR Studio 4 / Cologne.”

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  😎

Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra - ‘Far East Suite’

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

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