Back in the last millennium, shortly after this column first saw the light of day, I posted a list of twenty "desert island" albums, those that would be snugly ensconced in a crash-proof, water-tight carrying case should yours truly ever be marooned on a miniature atoll with nothing to relieve the boredom save palm trees, coconuts, sandy beaches and ample electrical outlets. Here is the list as it appeared then:

1. Buddy Rich Buddy Rich
1917 - 1987
drums , Big Swing Face (Pacific Jazz). 2. Louie Bellson Louie Bellson
1924 - 2009
drums , Dynamite! (Concord Jazz). 3. Frank Capp Frank Capp
b.1931
drums Juggernaut, Play It Again, Sam (Concord Jazz). 4. Stan Kenton Stan Kenton
1911 - 1979
piano , Live at Keesler Air Force Base, 1958 (Astral Jazz). 5. Tom Kubis Tom Kubis
, Slightly Off the Ground (Sea Breeze). 6. Rob McConnell Rob McConnell
1935 - 2010
trombone and the Boss Brass, Boss Brass and Woods (MCA / Impulse!). 7. Rob Parton Rob Parton
, JazzTech Big Band. (Sea Breeze). 8. Maynard Ferguson Maynard Ferguson
1928 - 2006
trumpet , It Might as Well Be Spring: The Roulette Years (EMI Canada). 9. Bill Potts Bill Potts
b.1928 , 555 Feet High (Jazz Mark). 10. Pete Petersen Pete Petersen
, Jazz Journey (Chase Music Group). 11. The Hawk-Richard Orchestra, The Hawk's Out (Sea Breeze). 12. Erwin Lehn Erwin Lehn
b.1919 , 40 Jahre Jazz: 1951-91 (Intercord). 13. Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Live and Screamin' (Chicago Lakeside Jazz). 14. Woody Herman Woody Herman
1913 - 1987
band/orchestra Orchestra, A Tribute to the Legacy of Woody Herman NY Jam). 15. McGill University Jazz Ensemble, Something Personal NU Jazz). 16. Kansas City Boulevard Big Band, Stellar (Sea Breeze). 17. John Fedchock John Fedchock
b.1957
trombone , New York Big Band (Reservoir). 18. Dave McMurdo Dave McMurdo
, Fire & Song Sackville). 19. University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Caliente, Muy Caliente (Walrus). 20. New England Jazz Ensemble, Version 3.0 (Brownstone).

Remarkably, almost fifteen years after the fact, roughly half of the albums named above remain firmly lodged in my psyche as "desert island" choices. This in spite of the fact that the big-band library has more than doubled since then and now stands at 2,572 CDs and counting. Needless to say, that's a lot of splendid music from which to choose. If I were to be cast away on that island today, I would surely need a larger carrying case! Here, in alphabetical order, are a number of albums not on the earlier list from which almost any big-band enthusiast on a desert island (or anywhere else) would derive endless recompense and pleasure.

Jerry Ascione Jerry Ascione
, Beautiful Love (Sea Breeze Jazz). Mike Barone Mike Barone
b.1936 , Live at Donte's, 1968 (VSOP). Wayne Bergeron Wayne Bergeron

trumpet , Plays Well with Others (Concord Jazz). Boulevard Big Band, Live at Harling's Upstairs (Boulevard Records). Alf Clausen, Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most (Sunny NoDak). Jack Cortner Jack Cortner

arranger , Sound Check (Jazzed Media). Jack Cortner, Fast Track (Jazzed Media). DIVA, TNT: The Music of Tommy Newsom Tommy Newsom
1929 - 2007
saxophone (DIVA Jazz). DIVA, Johnny Mandel Johnny Mandel
b.1925
arranger : A Man and His Music (Arbors). Dutch Jazz Orchestra, Plays the Music of Rob Madna (Challenge Records; 5 CDs). Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie
1917 - 1993
trumpet All-Star Big Band, Dizzy's Business (MCG Jazz). H2 Big Band, You're It! (Jazzed Media). Jazzmania Big Band, New Impressions (BMCD). Don Junker, Junk Mail Special (Sea Breeze). John MacLeod Orchestra, Our First Set (Johns Jazz). Dick Meldonian Dick Meldonian
b.1930 / Sonny Igoe Sonny Igoe
b.1923
drums Swing Band, The Jersey Concerts (Circle). James Morrison James Morrison
b.1962 , Snappy Too (KI Entertainment). New Vintage Big Band, Now and Forever (New Vintage Records). No Name Horses, Vol 1 (no label). Rob Parton, Just One of Those Things (Sea Breeze). Rob Parton, Two Different Days (Sea Breeze). Rob Parton, Eleventh Hour Live! (Sea Breeze). Brian Pastor Brian Pastor

band/orchestra , Common Men (BPO Music). Pete Petersen, Night and Day (Chase Music Group). George Stone George Stone
, The Real Deal (no label). Kenichi Tsunoda, Big Swing (Sea Breeze). Gary Urwin Gary Urwin

band/orchestra , Kindred Spirits (Summit). Vezinho / Ward Big Band, Smile (DAB Music). Vezinho / Ward Big Band, With Friends Like These . . . (DAB Music).

There are many others but these should get you started packing. And your stay on the island would be even more agreeable should you bring along the CDs by Buddy Rich, Tom Kubis, Frank Capp, Stan Kenton, Rob McConnell, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Potts, Erwin Lehn and the Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Ensemble. After that, you're on your own . . .

Bert Sugar: Boxing Writer, Childhood Friend

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