25 Sep
One More Time (Vol 6) by Terry Gibbs Dream Band
Wednesday, 25 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Oh dear. It appears time's up for Terry... Maybe volume 6 was just one volume too far for our friends in the Dream Band and a brave attempt to swing into our hearts just…
23 Sep
Weekly Dance by Pierce College Big Band
Monday, 23 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Described as the best kept secret in Washington State, this remarkable big band lets us all in on the secret, introducing itself to a wider audience with a performance that…
23 Sep
Towednack by Bob Curnow / SWR Big Band Germany
Monday, 23 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The SWR Big Band produced a stunning compact disc featuring the music of Bob Florence a short time ago. Demonstrating the sheer professionalism of this awesome group, the a…
19 Sep
See How They Run by Josh Greenberg Presents The Mother Goose Jazz Band
Thursday, 19 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Some music just brings that blissful look to your face, .... that joyful feeling one gets when the happy experiences of childhood come bubbling up, forcing the corners of y…
16 Sep
Chrysalis by Bruno Raberg
Monday, 16 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Bruno Raberg was born in Sweden and currently resides in the Boston area. Having previously released four recordings, Chrysalis represents a diverse selection of originals …
16 Sep
Chrysalis by Bruno Raberg
Monday, 16 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
A nice blend of big band with straight-ahead/classic motifs makes this a fine listening entry for the jazz audience. Excellent performances make this a CD you will enjoy ow…
10 Sep
Urban Landscapes by NewYorkestra Big Band
Tuesday, 10 September 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Urban Landscapes is exactly what it purports to be. Newyorkestra Big Band offers a variety of original sketches of the Great City. The band gives us pause to glimpse New Yo…
11 Aug
Swingville Original Jazz Classics Sampler by Various Artists
Sunday, 11 August 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Swingville Records was launched by Bob Weinstock, the founder of the Prestige label, in 1959 in order to document the music of the original generation of swing musicians, w…
07 Aug
Stompin’ At Newport (Recorded July 5, 1957 at Newport Jazz Festival) by Stan Kenton Orchestra
Wednesday, 07 August 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
As a bandleader and piano player, Stan Kenton helped to push the musical envelope in the jazz genre. He enabled future luminaries to approach their music in the same fashio…
05 Aug
The Milwaukee Connection: Just Jammin by Chuck Hedges
Monday, 05 August 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Chuck Hedges and his sextet, The Milwaukee Connection, are well known to fans who flock to performances at The Red Mill and Selen's Restaurant in his adopted …
01 Aug
All In Blue Time by Jay Patten and The Swing Noir Orchestra
Thursday, 01 August 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Jay Patten has a musician's voice. (Those voices are not only the most musical but also the most interesting.) I'm reminded of the late vocalist/pianist Joe Derise. He is a…
30 Jul
Quantum Leap by Paul Cacia Jazz Orchestra
Tuesday, 30 July 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Paul Cacia is a bandleader, studio musician and a trumpeter with a flair for the stratospheric. He will remind you of Maynard. Cacia played with the Kenton orchestra and pr…
29 Jul
Monday In The City by Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
Monday, 29 July 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Few musical experiences compare to the sound of a contemporary jazz big band. The full thrust of sound generated by multiple brass, saxophones and a swinging rhythm section…
13 Jul
At The Alhambra-Recorded In Paris, 1958 by Duke Ellington
Saturday, 13 July 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Duke Ellington’s recorded works are one of the marvels of modern music. His discography boggles the mind with a remarkable listing of titles from 1947 to breathtaking remas…
22 Jun
No Nonsense by John Fedchock
Saturday, 22 June 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Of all the places to assemble a big band, New York City of course offers the most talented performers, either residents or non-natives who are passing through for other eng…
22 Jun
Tunnel Vision by The Jim Cifelli New York Nonet
Saturday, 22 June 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Jim Cifelli's TUNNEL VISION is big band/swing in the form of an intricate small jazz combo sound, and it has the perfect groove, for it is imaginative and alive with great …
14 Jun
And His Mother Called Him Bill by Duke Ellington
Friday, 14 June 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Much has been written re: Duke Ellington being one of THE GREATEST jazz composer/bandleaders of the 20th century, so there’s precious little to add - but the contributions …
08 Jun
The Best of the Rare Les Brown by Les Brown and his Orchestra
Saturday, 08 June 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
I used to think this Les Brown guy was some old square big band guy because my youthful memories of him are inextricably entwined with his longtime association with good ol…
27 May
What Goes Around by Dave Holland Big Band
Monday, 27 May 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Master bassist Dave Holland - who, aside from his many albums as a leader, has graced the sessions/ensembles of artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Bonnie Raitt, Hank Jones …
15 May
Get Rhythm in Your Feet by John Sheridan and his Dream Band
Wednesday, 15 May 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The swing dance revival appears to be on the wane, which isn't all bad. The main beneficiaries were dance teachers ( some even claiming to be therapists), wardrobe supplier…
11 May
Duke Ellington at the Alhambra by Duke Ellington
Saturday, 11 May 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
This Ellington concert of October 29, 1958 at the Alhambra Theater has a joyous quality. After hitting the doldrums of the early 1950s, Ellington’s band was revived in 1956…
06 May
Things To Come by Dizzy Gillespie
Monday, 06 May 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Band is a splendid tribute organized by trumpeter and Gillespie sideman Jon Faddis. Recorded to celebrate the music of the great …
28 Apr
Inferno! (2-CD Set) by Louie Bellson Big Band
Sunday, 28 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Louie Bellson is one of the greatest American jazz drummers, and his recording history includes some of the finest drum solo work ever recorded. INFERNO! is a 2CD set that …
22 Apr
Mel Torme with Ray Anthony and His Big Band Live at the Playboy Jazz Festival by Mel Torme
Monday, 22 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Jazz fans of Mel Torme are in for a treat with this release! This was Mel Torme's last outing recorded live at the Playboy Jazz Festival. If you like Ray Anthony and Mel To…
15 Apr
From East To West (2-CD set) by The Woody Herman Big Band
Monday, 15 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
This is a musical feast for fans of Woody Herman. A 2CD set, featuring "Live At The Concord Jazz Festival" and "World Class." There are so many artists participating in thi…
14 Apr
Mediterraneo by Paris Jazz Big Band
Sunday, 14 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Mediterraneo is an exhilarating romp around the Mediterranean with excursions to Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Middle East and northern Africa. Paris Jazz Big Band presents…
08 Apr
Live and Rare by Duke Ellington
Monday, 08 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
In the view of some of the day’s [more pedantic] jazz critic’s, Ellington and his orchestra were running on empty by the early 70s. By then, The Duke had become an American…
06 Apr
One More Time (Vol 6) by Terry Gibbs Dream Band
Saturday, 06 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
A band often reflects its leader's character. Consider the Goodman orchestra's buttoned-down swing, the laid-back Basie band, and the flamboyance of many of the Kenton ense…
05 Apr
Live At Montreux by Don Ellis
Friday, 05 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
By the mid-60s, it was clear that big bands were not "coming back" (as a commercial force), but that didn’t stop trumpeter/drummer/composer Don Ellis (1934-78) from then as…
01 Apr
Stompin at Newport by Stan Kenton Orchestra
Monday, 01 April 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
From Pablo Records comes a previously unreleased sound document of the Stan Kenton Orchestra’s 1957 Newport visit. The music will be no surprise to fans of Kenton, who will…
31 Mar
Paradise is Awfully Nice by Peter Welker
Sunday, 31 March 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Photos of Elisabeth Welker grace the liner notes of Peter Welker’s new CD "Paradise is Awfully Nice." In a tribute to his mother, he writes: "You were an inspiration your e…
25 Mar
Big Band Soul by Gene Harris
Monday, 25 March 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Gene Harris is one of the finest big band pianists to come along on the jazz scene, and his lyrical piano stylings are legend. In this 2-CD set, the listening audience is t…
20 Mar
King Cobra by Woody Herman
Wednesday, 20 March 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Woody Herman had many different incarnations of his big band sound. "King Cobra" was his attempt at remaining young and sounding hip with the times even though his was gett…
20 Mar
Jumpin at Apollo by Illinois Jacquet
Wednesday, 20 March 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Illinois Jacquet was one of the great tenor men in an era of great tenorists. His immortal recording of "Flying Home," cut with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra when Jacquet wa…
13 Mar
Things to Come by Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band
Wednesday, 13 March 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The Gillespie legacy is preserved and propagated to superb effect on this exemplary collection. Under the baton of trumpet maestro Jon Faddis, the assembled cast of players…
12 Feb
Boogie, Ballads and Be-Bop: The Best of the Columbia Years 1945-1949 by Gene Krupa
Tuesday, 12 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The first superstar of the drums, Gene Krupa was a popular, charismatic and influential figure in jazz. Krupa not only played in The Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet, one of …
10 Feb
Basement Vibes by Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra
Sunday, 10 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
This independently recorded and released big band effort from Detroit's Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra is a gem on a number of counts. There are few big bands, or large ense…
07 Feb
Things To Come by Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Star Big Band
Thursday, 07 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Yea, the name of the band is a big mouthful but man, what a bite! Recorded big ‘n brassy during a four night stay at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburg, quickly …
06 Feb
Tonight At Noon by Mingus Big Band
Wednesday, 06 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
If anyone still needs confirmation that beneath his fiery genius and thunderous creative temper Charles Mingus was a great big softie, this disc will do the trick. Lush…
04 Feb
Tonight at Noon ... Three of Four Shades of Love by Mingus Big Band
Monday, 04 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The superlative "best big band in America" doesn’t inspires much awe these days. Big bands still bring to mind old guys in matching jackets playing anesthetizing arrangemen…
03 Feb
Things To Come by The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Star Big Band
Sunday, 03 February 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
THINGS TO COME is a great tribute to everything creative & innovative that was the man, Dizzy Gillespie. This CD collection of 11 songs is big band at its finest. Among the…
30 Jan
Lets Face the Music and Dance by Gregg Gelb Swing Band
Wednesday, 30 January 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
It may seem to some that "little" big bands made their debut during the current swing dance revival. Not so! Actually, some of the new "retro" swing bands are caricatures o…
26 Jan
Tonight At Noon…Three Or Four Shades Of Love by Mingus Big Band
Saturday, 26 January 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
The delights are so plentiful on Tonight At Noon.... Three Or Four Shades Of Love that it's difficult to find a starting point for reviewing the CD. The relatively …
24 Jan
The Music of Daniel Barry by Jazz Police
Thursday, 24 January 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
You might expect a breath of fresh air out of the Pacific Northwest, but Latin jazz? The innovative Seattle-based Jazz Police orchestra provides both withcharts composed an…
15 Jan
Hey Duke! by David Matthews & The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra
Tuesday, 15 January 2002
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Arranger, conductor and pianist David Matthews and the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra last saluted a master musician with "Bach 2000." With "Hey Duke!"they turn their atttention …
06 Aug
Symphomaniacs by Ira B Liss And The Big Band Machine
Monday, 06 August 2001
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
This is the second CD I am aware of from this excellent San Diego Big Band. The original production had a lighter feel, perhaps a shade more commercial in concept. Symphoma…
06 Aug
Goldener Meilenstein by Bob Florence / SWR Big Band (Germany)
Monday, 06 August 2001
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Over the last 50 years, SWR Big Band has played host to some of the finest guests that the jazz firmament has to offer. To celebrate the 50th years it was felt that the gre…
22 Jul
Trench Heroes by Contemporary Jazz Orchestra
Sunday, 22 July 2001
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
One of the great things brought to a listener via live recordings is the excitement and presence of being "in the moment" of an actual performance. One has the opportunity …
06 Jul
At the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre by Lionel Hampton Big Band
Friday, 06 July 2001
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
Last month, in a fit of resignation after hearing the news of 93 year-old Lionel Hampton's death, I dejectedly reached for my old vinyl box set of his Bluebird recordings f…
02 Jul
Can I Persuade You? by The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Monday, 02 July 2001
Published in
Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews
With the relative dearth of big bands in jazz today, it’s difficult to find a unit that plays together on an on-going basis as in the days of the early and middle decades o…