Earning a deserved reputation as one of the hardest swinging and creative active big bands, the WDR Big Band is in excellent form here, conducted by Chuck Owen with rich arrangements that craftily mix charts and solos. The peppy “Knife Edge” has bright brass to coax tenor saxist Paul Heller and trumpeter Andy Haderer, with drummer Hans Dekker getting in some jabs. Andy Hunter’s trombone cretes a rich line for the military grooved “…And Your Point Is” and the woodwinds are fluffy for pianist Billy Test and the gentle trumpeter Ruud Breuls oN “A Ridge Away”. The rhythm secio of Test/p, Dekker/dr John Goldsby/b and Philipp Branswig/g swagger like Rat Packersfor Heller’s preacing sax on the dramatic “The Love Of Mine” and the team is rocking like a juke joint with Sara Caswell/vi, Johan Horlen/as and Bramswig stretching out on the hard hitting read of Chick Corea’s “Arabian Nights”. Closing out with a lyrical “Canoe” featuring Ludwig Nuss’ buttery trombone, Owen and company show that modern big bands don’t need to be mindless cerebrations, but joyful celebrations.