Big Bands are still alive, usually created in the studio. Here are a couple
This two disc set has trumpet all star Bryan Lynch leading a big band through richly arranged originals. Among the members of the team are Mike Brignola/bs-bcl, Dafnis Prieto/dr, Donald Harrison/as, Regina Carter/vi, Jim Snidero/as and David Liebman/ss in guest appearances or holding down the foundation.
Lynch himself has built a career on tasty and swinging playing. Each of these 11 songs is dedicated to his favorite authors including ralph Ellison and WEB Dubois. His own work on the thrilling “Woody Shaw” is filled with warmth, with the horn sections giving a jai alai back and forth volley, while “Tribute to Blue (Mitchell)” is a lyrical delight. Carter gets some nice space on “The Struggle Is In Your Name” with Prieto supplying the backbeat for Snidero on the charging “Crucible For Crisis.” Liebman shines his soprano on “The Trouble With Elysium and Harrison is bright and bopping for the earthy “Africa My Land.” Deep mainstream with plenty of life in the depths.
Pianist, keyboardist and vocalist Michele Rosewoman leads a little-big band through a ten movement “rhythmic suite” and two big sounding Latin lovers. The “Oru de Oro” is propulsed by the in front percussion of Roman Diaz, Robby Ameen, Rafael Monteafudo and Mauriciao Herrera as Alex Norris’ horn flies over “We Need You Now” and Stacy Dillard’s Coltranesque tenor punches through “Color Crown.” Rosewoman’s piano rides the avalanche on “Flowers That Bloom in the dark” and glides through the horns on the earthy “Hallowed.” She switches to keyboards and adds a choral chant to “The Wind is the First to Know” and features Andrew Gutauskas’ baritone. Percussion discussions.