Miho Hazama: Frames

The Frames project, led by Grammy-nominated Japanese composer and conductor Miho Hazama, features the Danish Radio Big Band. It is inspired by the band's lineage of previous musical directors, who have included Thad Jones, Palle Mikkelborg, Bob Brookmeyer and the late Jim McNeely, under whom Hazama studied upon her move to New York. The album carries a dedication to his memory.

Hazama, a prolific composer with a substantial body of work for numerous international orchestras, explains the background for Frames: "This project reflects on the legacy of the Danish Radio Big Band and its former chief conductors, whose musical language have shaped generations of composers and musicians. Through studying their work and absorbing those ideas into my own writing, I created a suite of new compositions that honor that history quietly—not as direct tributes, but as a continuation of the orchestra's evolving voice rooted in Copenhagen."

From the opening track, "And The Door Unsealed," Hazama asserts her reputation as one of the most innovative of contemporary composers and conductors. A listener may believe they know the direction of travel from the opening brass and woodwinds, but is soon led into surprising new directions, including inspired improvisations from guitar and tenor saxophone. Those labyrinthine twists continue in "Rondo," which weaves mysterious fragments of piano and percussion through to surging horns before a cinematic ending.

"Lulu" unfolds over 10 minutes of expansive textures, moving through mournful horn swells and a lyrical bass solo. The slow breath of the band provides an elegiac backdrop to an emotional saxophone performance in the final section. In contrast, "The Pioneer's Quest" offers a vibrant journey through changing time signatures, fiery drum passages and flowing piano and trumpet solos.

The dense and detailed "Aura II" mixes piano, guitar and clarinet with brass swells and cinematic woodwinds across another 10-minute journey, while the album closes with "The First Notes," a classy, brisk big band ending with a more playful nature.

Elegantly constructed with striking themes, Frames demonstrates Hazama's skills as a composer and arranger. The Danish Radio Big Band responds with versatility as they nimbly move from restraint to propulsive drive and all points in between, as together, they build on their legacy to craft the next step in their evolving influence.