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Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band: What Next?
by Jack Bowers
A big band by any other name... Arranger and orchestrator Russ Anixter has chosen to call his 11-piece ensemble the Hippie Big Band. Which is fine, Russ. Whatever works for you. Alas, much of the music on What Next? sounds as though it could have been imported from the mid- 20th century. Yes, this is unquestionably jazz even though it does lean rather heavily on rock, funk and even some free improvisation as its bedrock; and ...
Continue ReadingRuss Anixter's Hippie Big Band: What Is?
by Jack Bowers
Although the music of New York-based bandleader and arranger Russ Anixter may leave the average listener bemused and scratching his or her head, even the more perplexed among them would have to concede that Anixter has his personal North Star, and that he and the eleven-member Hippie Big Band follow it to the letter. Having grown up in San Francisco in the 1960s, Anixter was irresistibly drawn to bands such as The Grateful Dead, Santana and others who made improvisation ...
Continue ReadingBill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra: Smile
by Jack Bowers
Having no idea what to expect from an ensemble labeled the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra, the game plan must be to advance with caution, as any orchestra with trumpeter Bill Warfield at the helm can't be all bad. After listening, it becomes clear that the game plan was sound and the premise accurate: Smile, the HKFO's second recording, isn't all bad. The question is: did Warfield and the orchestra have its own game plan? If snatching every ingredient within reach ...
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Smile
From: SmileBy Steve Count
