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Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra: 1943-45 Broadcasts
by Jack Bowers
Somewhere between the enduring Swing Era “superstars” (Ellington, Basie, Miller, the Dorsey brothers, Harry James, Artie Shaw) and the scarcely remembered “regional bands” stood such enormously popular (and talented) but relatively short–lived “second tier” orchestras as those led by Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Chick Webb, Andy Kirk, Jay McShann, Jimmie Lunceford and others. Lunceford’s ensemble was ...
Harry James and His Orchestra: 1942-43 Broadcasts with Helen Forrest
by Jack Bowers
No list of the most popular dance bands of the ’40s would be complete without the name Harry James whose stylish trumpet and splendid orchestra were featured in a number of films of the period and performed not only on radio but to standing–room–only audiences in casinos and ballrooms from coast to coast. In the early ...
The University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble 1: Seems Like Old Times
by Jack Bowers
Jazz musicians seldom need a special reason to play — but on the other hand, having a special reason can often enliven the creative impulse. This album, recorded two years ago by the University of North Florida’s splendid Jazz Ensemble 1, is quite special indeed, dedicated as it is to the memory of the late Rich ...
The Vienna Art Orchestra: Duke Ellington's Sound of Love
by Jack Bowers
Whenever the word “art” precedes the word “orchestra,” as in Vienna Art Orchestra, the perceptive listener may suspect that he or she could be in for a rather bumpy ride. Not to worry. The VAO has addressed itself here to the music of Duke Ellington and his alter–ego, Billy Strayhorn, which is not only pleasing to ...
The African Jazz Pioneers: The Best Of
by Jack Bowers
It’s always fascinating to hear how musicians from other countries have taken “America’s music” — Jazz — and adapted it to suit their ethnic and cultural heritage. This is especially true when one considers the music of Africa, one of the primary wellsprings of Jazz’s syncopated rhythmic patterns. Rhythm is what African ensembles are about, an ...
The Tip Toe Big Band and Elle Hansen: Big Smile
by Jack Bowers
The bane of my existence — a potentially excellent big–band album with vocals on every track but two! Bad enough when the singer’s first language is English, even worse when, as in the case of Helle Hansen, it’s Danish. Okay, so she’s a pretty good singer, even if one may have a problem deciphering some of ...
The Temple Jazz Orchestra: Soft Lights, Sweet Music Live!
by Jack Bowers
On first hearing, Soft Lights, Sweet Music left me shaking my head in disbelief. How, I wondered, could a Jazz ensemble from a two–year college in an undersized east–central Texas town possibly be that good? Something in the drinking water, perhaps? Seeking an explanation for the TJO’s remarkable proficiency, I turned to the liner notes and ...
Tommy Newsom: Friendly Fire
by Jack Bowers
Tommy Newsom, the butt of many a Johnny Carson joke when he played in the Tonight Show band, isn’t nearly as colorless as Johnny would have had us believe. Beneath that bland exterior lies the soul of an impassioned swinger, as Newsom proves on Friendly Fire, his long–overdue debut for Florida–based Arbors Records. Tommy has chosen ...
The Hank Levy Alumni Band: Hank at Home
by Jack Bowers
Disproving the poet T.S. Eliot’s sardonic observation, composer / arranger / educator Hank Levy’s life ended not with a whimper but a bang, thanks to a group of his former students who decided to hand their mentor the reins for one last exhilarating buggy ride. The album’s title means exactly what it says — Hank at ...
The University of North Florida Jazz Ensemble: Things to Come
by Jack Bowers
Things to Come, the first album by the University of North Florida's superlative Jazz Ensemble I under its new director, Keith Javors, easily affirms that UNF's long-standing tradition of excellence, established under the late Rich Matteson, is unequivocally alive and well. No shaky links in this chain; the ensemble is impressive on every number while the ...
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