Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Hollenbeck Jazz Bigband Graz featuring Theo Bleckma...

John Hollenbeck Jazz Bigband Graz featuring Theo Bleckmann: Joys & Desires

By C. Michael Bailey
September 12, 2006
View read count

John Hollenbeck Jazz Bigband Graz featuring Theo Bleckmann: Joys & Desires

This release would look like the dozens of big band recordings that surface every year, except for the small print mentioning Theo Bleckmann. Bleckmann, a fixture in New York City performance art circles, was a conspicuous presence on this year's Winter & Winter recording Las Vegas Rhapsody: The Night They Invented Champagne. Bleckmann isn't singing this time, but his mere presence means something unusual, and perhaps very significant, is up.

The first bit of subterfuge surrounding Joys & Desires is the Bigband Graz, directed by Heinrich von Kalnein and Horst-Michael Schaffer. The Bigband Graz is is centered in Graz, Austria, a band noted for its progressive orchestration, particularly on the recent Question and Answer, a recording made with Bob Brookmeyer of Brookmeyer's compositions and arrangements. The first bit of subterfuge is the presence of composer John Hollenbeck, a musican whose musical taste is both eclectic and omniverous.

Joys & Desires is anything but a big band recording. There is no "One O'clock Jump, no "Lester Leaps In, no "Take the A Train. Composer/percussionist Hollenbeck creates a jungle soundscape with his band, replete with bird calls, cat growls, and antelope hooves tramping in the dirt. Bleckmann is on hand as an androgynous narrator of a sensuous documentary. Bleckmann extends the same decadence he provided Las Vegas Rhapsody to Joys and Desires.

This disc is not for the faint of heart. It is very much a temporal soundtrack generated by a large jazz ensemble under the spell of the master composer Hollenbeck. Bleckmann's creamy, smooth delivery adds to the humidity of the pieces. Joys and Desires should be considered a step beyond mere sound recording into the realm of life soundtrack.

Visit John Hollenbeck on the web.

Track Listing

The Bird with Coppery Keen Claws; Just Like Him; Abstinence; Jazz Envy; After A Dance Or Two, We Sit Down For A Pint With Gil And Tim; Garden Of Love; Maxfield.

Personnel

John Hollenbeck

drums

Theo Bleckmann: vocals, electronic effects; Christian Bachner: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Robert Friedl: alto and soprano saxophones, clarinet; Klaus Gesing: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; Martin Harns: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Heinrich Von Kalnein: alto and soprano saxophones, flute; Jorg Engels, Axel Mayer, Karl Rossman, Horst-Michael Schaffer: trumpets, flugelhorns; Robert Bachner, Wolfgang Messner, Hans Radinger, Reinhard Summerer: trombones; Oliver Kent: piano; Uli Rennert: keyboards; Henning Sieverts: bass, cello; John Hollenbeck: drums, compositions.

Album information

Title: Joys & Desires | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Intuition

PREVIOUS / NEXT

The Cool Side of the Pillow
< Previous

Underground
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.