June 2001

Big Band Archive <& /bigband/bigb_archive.tmp &>

By Jack Bowers

Although it’s probably too late to make travel arrangements this year, big–band enthusiasts who are looking for an agreeable place to spend some time during the early summer should keep Toronto in mind when planning future vacations. The city is holding its first Big Band Music Festival this month with ten topnotch dance / swing bands scheduled to perform. The three–day event (June 8–10) is designed to showcase big–band talent, instrumental and vocal, from the Toronto area. More than twenty–five bands asked to be considered, from which list the final ten were chosen. Kicking things off on June 8 are the Toronto MegaCity Swing Band, the Sophisticated Swing Band, and the Swing Shift Band. On June 9, the Royal Oaks Stage Band, Whitney Smith’s Big Steam Band, the Etobicoke Swing Orchestra and Sentimental Swing Orchestra will perform, followed on June 10 by the Skyliners Swing Band, the Toronto All Star Big Band and the Starlight Orchestra. If you’d like more information about the Festival, the phone number is 416–861–0288.

The Desert Island Revisited After hitching my wagon to allaboutjazz.com in March ’98, one of the first columns I wrote was the obligatory “desert island” essay, in which were listed twenty big–band discs I’d carry with me if marooned on an island far removed from civilization (but wired for electricity or harboring a lifetime supply of double–A batteries). Well, a lot has happened since then, and if I were going to that island today I’d need several more suitcases in which to accommodate at least some of the many superlative big–band albums that have been released during the past three–plus years.

To begin at the beginning, here are the twenty CDs that were listed in that earlier column: 1. Buddy Rich, Big Swing Face (Pacific Jazz 7243 8 37989) 2. Louie Bellson, Dynamite! (Concord Jazz 4105) 3. The Frank Capp Juggernaut, Play It Again, Sam (Concord Jazz 4747) 4. Stan Kenton, Live at Keesler Air Force Base 1958 (Astral Jazz 102) 5. Tom Kubis, Slightly Off the Ground (Sea Breeze 109) 6. Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, Boss Brass and Woods (MCA / Impulse 5982) 7. Rob Parton, JazzTech Big Band (Sea Breeze 112) 8. Maynard Ferguson, It Might as Well Be Spring: The Roulette Years (EMI Music Canada 72438 55949) 9. Bill Potts, 555 Feet High (Jazz Mark 107) 10. Pete Petersen, Jazz Journey (Chase Music Group 8042) 11. The Hawk–Richard Orchestra, The Hawk’s Out (Sea Breeze 2093) 12. Erwin Lehn Orchestra, 40 Jahre Jazz, 1951–91, Vol. 2 (Intercord 973.400) 13. Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Live and Screamin’ (Chicago Lakeside Jazz 601) 14. The Woody Herman Orchestra, A Tribute to the Legacy of Woody Herman (NY Jam 1196) 15. McGill University Jazz Ensemble, Something Personal (NuJazz 003) 16. Kansas City Boulevard Big Band, Stellar (Sea Breeze 2075) 17. John Fedchock, New York Big Band (Reservoir 136) 18. Dave McMurdo, Fire and Song (Sackville 5004) 19. University of Nevada–Las Vegas, Caliente, Muy Caliente (Walrus 4504) 20. The New England Jazz Ensemble, Version 3.0 (Brownstone 954)

Also listed were ten “runners–up” (in case there was more room in the valise): Banda Mantiqueira, Aldeia (ACT); The Blue Wisp Big Band, Butterfly / The Smooth One (Sea Breeze); Pete Cater, Playing with Fire (Jazzizit); Freeflight the Big Band, First Flight (Unity); The National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Germany, BuJazzO, Vols. 2 and 3 (AMP); Navy Commodores, Here and Now (no label); Rob Parton, The Count Is In! (Sea Breeze); Bill Perkins, Our Man Woody (Jazz Mark); Franco Piana Orchestra, Conversation (Penta Flowers); Jack Sharpe, Catalyst (MasterMix).

When those selections were made my big–band CD library consisted of 625 albums, a number that has now grown to nearly 1,070. The law of averages alone should have dictated some changes in the “desert island” list, and sure enough, there are a number of albums unknown to me then that would simply have to be crammed into the suitcase before any trip was made that could conceivably end on a remote island with no indoor plumbing, hot water or other amenities apart from the world’s longest extension cord. So here, without further ado, as they say, is a list (presented in alphabetical order) of some recent albums that have stimulated the ears of at least one big–band reviewer / partisan.

• The Army Blues, Things Ain’t What They Used to Be (no label)
• The Mike Barone Big Band, Live at Donte’s, 1968 (VSOP 103)
• Big Band Bellaterra, Don’t Git Sassy (Fresh Sound New Talent 048)
• The Big Barchem Band, Looking Glass (A–Records 73133)
• The Blue Wisp Big Band, 20th Anniversary (Sea Breeze 2114)

• The Bohuslan Big Band, A Perfect Match (Real Records 103)
• Brussels Jazz Orchestra, The September Sessions (Dewerf 0018)
• The Mark Buselli–Brent Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Happenstance (BW19–JO)
• The Pete Cater Big Band, Upswing! (Vocalion 6801)
• The Clayton–Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Shout Me Out! (Fable 54395)

• The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Traditions (no label)
• The Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Band at Work (no label)
• The DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, Live at the Jazz Showcase (no label)
• The Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, Alive and Swingin’ (SMP 0004)
• European Broadcasting Union Jazz Orchestra, 100 Years of Duke Ellington (Justin Time 8476)

• Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Swingin’ for the Fences (Silverline 81017)
• George Graham, With More Help from My Friends (Pippo Avenue 101)
• Peter Herbolzheimer, Masterpieces (MPS 529 079)
• Woody Herman, The Complete Capitol Recordings (Mosaic 196)
• McGill University, Sang–Froid (NuJazz 009)

• Dan McMillion’s Groovin’ High Big Band, Got the Spirit (Sea Breeze 2111)
• The Dick Meldonian / Sonny Igoe Swing Band, The Jersey Concerts (Circle 73)
• The Millennium Jazz Orchestra, Triangular (A–Records 73199)
• The Bob Mintzer Big Band, Homage to Count Basie (DMP 529)
• The Monday Night Big Band, Live! (Imogena 040)

• The New Vintage Big Band, Always and Forever (New Vintage 2000)
• Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band, That Toddlin’ Town (Blue Birdland 72596)
• Rob Parton’s JazzTech Big Band, Eleventh Hour Live! (Sea Breeze 2110)
• The Ian Pearce Big Band, Prelude to the Blues (Big Musik 012)
• The Pete Petersen Collection Orchestra, Night and Day (Chase Music Group 0046)

• Bill Prince, Happy Thoughts (no label)
• The Reno Jazz Orchestra, Orchestra 2000 (no label)
• The Buddy Rich Big Band, Wham! (Label M 495717)
• The River City Jazz Orchestra, Young Lions and Old Cats (no label)
• The Steve Spiegl Big Band, Enigma (Sorcerer 1003)

• The George Stone Big Band, Piece by Piece (Sea Breeze 2106)
• The Sunday Night Jazz Orchestra, Voyage Out (Mons 847 305)
• The SWR Big Band with Bob Florence, Goldener Meilenstein (CK Records 00701)
• The SWR Big Band with Phil Woods, Jazz Matinee (CK Records 93.009)
• The SWR Big Band with Bob Mintzer, Live (CK Records 00199)

• The Toledo Jazz Orchestra, . . .Out of Nowhere (TJO 1998)
• The Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band, Big Swing (KTBB 002)
• The Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band, Savanna (KTBB 001)
• The Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band, Shuffling Shuffle (JazzLife 001)
• University of Cincinnati Conservatory, Serenade in Blue (Sea Breeze Vista 4540)

• University of Massachusetts, Pay the Fiddler (JE 004)
• University of Northern Colorado, Alive XVII: For the Last Time (UJA 91520)
• University of Northern Colorado, Alive XVI: This One’s for Buddy (UJA 1198)
• Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra, Perspectives (Sea Breeze 2105)
• The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Thad Jones Legacy (New World 80581)

• The Mike Vax Big Band, I Remember You (Master Communications 8010)
• The Ed Vezinho–Jim Ward Big Band, Smile (DAB Music; no number)
• The Bill Watrous Big Band, Space Available (Double–Time 124)
• The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Theme for Monterey (MAMA 1021)
• Phil Woods and the Festival Orchestra, Celebration! (Concord Jazz 4770)