While not many big bands tour anymore, there are still some great studio sessions and one off performances that will keep fans rejoicing. Here are two recent ones.
Conductor, composer and arranger Mats Holmquist teams up with the famed UMO Jazz Orchestra, featuring trumpet star Randy Brecker through some exciting charts. The brass section is delaratory on the anthem-like “One Million Circumstances” and fun on Chick Corea’s swinging “Humpty Dumpty,” both which feature Brecker in rich form. Some fluffy woodwinds and reeds flow well for Brecker and Ville Vannemaa/ss on “All MY Things” and the flutes float on “My Stella” while the sections circle around Brecker’s autumnal flugelhorn on “Never Let Me Go.” Alluring sounds.
Ayn Inserto conducts, arranges and composes the material for her Jazz Orchestra, which features all star guests John Fedchock/tb, George Garzone/ts and Sean Jones/tp for some hip soloing.All three take turns on the fun and Monkish “Three and Me” that has the sections bouncing back and forth, while Jones is velvety on “BJ’s Tune.” Austin McMahon’s drums and high hat lead the charge for Garzone’s thick sax on the title track and coaxes his cymbals around the relaxed strut of “Mister and Dudley” for Fedchock. The ringer here is an elegiac take of the Michael Jackson hit “I’ll Be There” that features a gorgeous intro by pianist Jason Yeager. This is an album filled with rich and toe tapping ideas.
Greg Diaz sings, plays tenor sax and clarinet while also arranging this big band charts. Most of the songs he’s also composed, and they are fun and hip. “Circadia” has a swaggering sax section which gives way to solos by himself and guitarist Christian Davis, while the New Orleans grooved “Brother John/2nd Line Strut/Iko Iko” is a gas, with jivey vocals and fun solos by just about everyone. Matt Calderin’s drums drive a Four Brothers sax section on “Frank Blank” and just for variety the band changes into a Weather Report mode with Eero Turunen on Keyboards for a snappy and fusioned title track. Lots of energy emitted here.