West Coast, multi-reedman Vinny Golia states that this isn’t a jazz band, per se. But it’s a twenty-year celebration of a large ensemble that serves as a medium for California’s forward thinking instrumentalists. And Golia has performed with these musicians within various ensemble gatherings, spanning over two decades.

This live concert showcases Golia’s symmetrical compositional talents, where chamber, improvisation and third stream elements are fused into one well-rounded entity. Filmed and recorded in 2002 at the California Institute of the Arts, the large orchestra footage included freeze frames, close-ups of the soloists and long-shots. Nonetheless, the orchestra conveys an undeniably heavy sound, anchored by powerful rhythmic and percussion structures and brashly executed horns and strings charts. At times, Golia cues the soloists through counterbalancing horns and strings choruses. Featuring hard-blowing solos by Golia, trombonist Bruce Fowler and other band-members, the music spoken here is partly about exploring the seemingly endless possibilities at hand. Whether the music becomes quietly chamber-like or firmed up by bustling flows and gutsy movements, Golia’s visionary intentions and unassailable conviction shines glowingly here. The artists’ evolutionary mode of execution yields subtle genre-based deviations to complement their flair for the dynamic. Ultimately, Golia throws the book at convention often-resulting in attainable results, that are abetted by an air of nobility and of course, a celebratory-type vibe. (Recommended.... )