While not many big bands can afford to tour anymore, don’t let that discourage you, as these years there is a plethora of wonderful studio bands that are swinging, clever and filled with wonderful sounds for the ears. Here are a couple that mix tradition of the Swing Era with modern directions.
Rich Willey not only leads this 18+ member big band, but he plays trumpet, flugelhorn and bass trumpet as well. He raids the closet of Big Phat Band leader Gordon Goodwin, employing Jeff Driskill, Sal Lozano, Brian Scanlon, Wayne Bergeron, Andy Martin, Andrew Synowiec and even Goodwin himself for his charts and blowing on this swinging session. Throw drummer Peter Erskine and tenor saxist Bob Sheppard into the mix, and you get a smoking session of mind bending section work and sizzling solos.
Goodwin’s arrangements include a hip reggae pulse for Willey’s horn on the cooking “Boogie Beast” as well as on “Not So Fast” that has the leader teamed with some synth work by Wally Minko. A soulful “Ed Zachry Meets Gregory Peccary” features CTI-ish keys by Minko as well as BPB solos by trombonist Martin and tenor saxist Sal Lozano, and Sheppard blows hard on the rockish “Funk Heap” that includes Synowiec’s searing axe. Willey’s bass horn solo on a lush “Old Folks” puts some new wine in an old bottle, making this album a balm from Gilead. Definitely check this one out-it’s a Boptism by fire!
Conductor, arranger and woodwind player Eyal Vilner takes things back to the era when Swing was King, but with some fresh atmospheres on this album of tunes from the 30s and 40s. The 16 member band shuffles hard to Brandon Lee’s trumpet on Vilner’s own big sounding “Downhill” while the muted brass section is as hip as Kim Kardashian on his “Going Uptown.” Guest vocalist Brianna Thomas coos to Ian Hutchison’s finger snapping bass on a sweet take of “In A Mellow Tone” and is coy alongside Jordan Piper’s striding piano on “My Baby Just Cares For Me” while belting out the sass on an oomphy “5-10-15 Hours” before tapping into her inner Mahalia Jackson for a dramatic spiritual of “I’m On My Way To Canaan Land.” You get some clarinet reed rapture a la Benny Goodman on a sizzling “Big Apple Contest” whereas glowing starlit nights are evoked by Brandon Bain as he gives a bel canto vocal to “That’s All.” Vilnar hits all 8 cylinders with 92 octane on this burner.