The Ron Paley Big Band is so big that not one musical style can contain them. On their latest album Bring 'Em Back!, the group accomplishes the nearly impossible task of marrying the Big Band sound with the unexpected. Considering that one of the record's most startling tracks, “Hot Rock Big Band," manages to stitch together elements of hip hop, jazz fusion, and progressive rock in a Big Band context, that might be putting it mildly.
The album title certainly hints at a retro affair, but pianist/bassist Paley is aiming for innovation here as well as feeding nostalgic appetites. The latter is fulfilled with “Millennium Jump." All of the classic key ingredients are included, especially the splashy horns and rambunctious piano. It swings with the kind of infectious, hip-shaking rhythms that the Big Band sound has long been renowned for. However, Paley then throws a curveball with “Jazz Is," incorporating slices of funk and rap.
What Paley is trying to express on Bring 'Em Back! is that jazz should not be one-dimensional and be completely stuck in the past. Yes, jazz has to respect and preserve its roots but continue to be open to new ideas as well. Paley formed the group in 1976 after playing bass with Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. That Paley continues to remain a visionary after all these decades is an extraordinary accomplishment itself.
The album title certainly hints at a retro affair, but pianist/bassist Paley is aiming for innovation here as well as feeding nostalgic appetites. The latter is fulfilled with “Millennium Jump." All of the classic key ingredients are included, especially the splashy horns and rambunctious piano. It swings with the kind of infectious, hip-shaking rhythms that the Big Band sound has long been renowned for. However, Paley then throws a curveball with “Jazz Is," incorporating slices of funk and rap.
What Paley is trying to express on Bring 'Em Back! is that jazz should not be one-dimensional and be completely stuck in the past. Yes, jazz has to respect and preserve its roots but continue to be open to new ideas as well. Paley formed the group in 1976 after playing bass with Buddy Rich and Woody Herman. That Paley continues to remain a visionary after all these decades is an extraordinary accomplishment itself.
