Big Band / Swing - CD Reviews (348)
A band often reflects its leader's character. Consider the Goodman orchestra's buttoned-down swing, the laid-back Basie band, and the flamboyance of many of the Kenton ense…
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Photos of Elisabeth Welker grace the liner notes of Peter Welker’s new CD "Paradise is Awfully Nice." In a tribute to his mother, he writes: "You were an inspiration your e…
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From Pablo Records comes a previously unreleased sound document of the Stan Kenton Orchestra’s 1957 Newport visit. The music will be no surprise to fans of Kenton, who will…
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Gene Harris is one of the finest big band pianists to come along on the jazz scene, and his lyrical piano stylings are legend. In this 2-CD set, the listening audience is t…
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Illinois Jacquet was one of the great tenor men in an era of great tenorists. His immortal recording of "Flying Home," cut with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra when Jacquet wa…
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Woody Herman had many different incarnations of his big band sound. "King Cobra" was his attempt at remaining young and sounding hip with the times even though his was gett…
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The Gillespie legacy is preserved and propagated to superb effect on this exemplary collection. Under the baton of trumpet maestro Jon Faddis, the assembled cast of players…
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The first superstar of the drums, Gene Krupa was a popular, charismatic and influential figure in jazz. Krupa not only played in The Benny Goodman Trio and Quartet, one of …
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This independently recorded and released big band effort from Detroit's Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra is a gem on a number of counts. There are few big bands, or large ense…
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If anyone still needs confirmation that beneath his fiery genius and thunderous creative temper Charles Mingus was a great big softie, this disc will do the trick. Lush…
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Yea, the name of the band is a big mouthful but man, what a bite! Recorded big ‘n brassy during a four night stay at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in Pittsburg, quickly …
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THINGS TO COME is a great tribute to everything creative & innovative that was the man, Dizzy Gillespie. This CD collection of 11 songs is big band at its finest. Among the…
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The superlative "best big band in America" doesn’t inspires much awe these days. Big bands still bring to mind old guys in matching jackets playing anesthetizing arrangemen…
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It may seem to some that "little" big bands made their debut during the current swing dance revival. Not so! Actually, some of the new "retro" swing bands are caricatures o…
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You might expect a breath of fresh air out of the Pacific Northwest, but Latin jazz? The innovative Seattle-based Jazz Police orchestra provides both withcharts composed an…
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The delights are so plentiful on Tonight At Noon.... Three Or Four Shades Of Love that it's difficult to find a starting point for reviewing the CD. The relatively …
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Arranger, conductor and pianist David Matthews and the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra last saluted a master musician with "Bach 2000." With "Hey Duke!"they turn their atttention …
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Over the last 50 years, SWR Big Band has played host to some of the finest guests that the jazz firmament has to offer. To celebrate the 50th years it was felt that the gre…
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This is the second CD I am aware of from this excellent San Diego Big Band. The original production had a lighter feel, perhaps a shade more commercial in concept. Symphoma…
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One of the great things brought to a listener via live recordings is the excitement and presence of being "in the moment" of an actual performance. One has the opportunity …
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