The Large Ensembles of Ryan Truesdell and Claire Cope

These are two excellent recent large ensemble jazz recordings. One celebrates the work of a venerated master composer and arranger while the other showcases an outstanding newer writing talent.

Ryan Truesdell
Shades of Sound
Outside in Music
2025

This is the third release from Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project, which plays both familiar and previously unheard works by the legendary arranger. It comes from shows at New York's Jazz Standard in May 2014 that capture the warmth and atmosphere of a live recording. These performances stay true to the easy-flowing grace of Evans' music, especially on blues variations such as the relentless 13-minute creep of Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" and the heel-and-toe rocking of the previously unheard "Neetie's Blues." Donny McCaslin screams potent tenor saxophone on "Spoonful" while Tom Christensen's tenor soulfully moans on "Neetie."

Evans' penchant for cinematic drama is also explored here. "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" is played with a melancholy air that highlights Ryan Keberle's sympathetic trombone, while "Barbara Song" simmers with an ominous tension broken by the volcanic force of Donny McCaslin's tenor. The set also contains three Evans vocal arrangements sung by Wendy Gilles; the most adventurous of these is "Laughing At Life," where the vocal and instrumental lines run together at different tempos while still making sense as a whole. The MVP of this set is the late Frank Kimbrough playing what Evans referred to as "arranger's piano" throughout. His crafty fills and rumbling commentaries constantly give the music a subtle extra measure of groove. As a soloist, his introduction to "Sad Young Men" is one of the loveliest passages on the entire album.

Claire Cope
Every Journey
Adhyâropa Records
2025

Claire Cope, a young British composer, leads an 11-piece group called Ensemble C. Her writing comes under the impressionistic lineage of Maria Schneider and Kenny Wheeler. It sounds formal and dramatic but also has a rhythmic bite that recalls purely jazz composers like John Dankworth. Like Wheeler, Cope often uses a vocalist as a wordless lead instrument in the band. In her case, that is Brigitte Beraha. Her voice, melting over surging horns on the tricky Latin rhythm of "Flight" and the restless pace of "Isabel," recalls musicians like Flora Purim and Norma Winstone. She is a haunting presence on lovely compositions like "Every Journey" and "That Nabongo Feeling" and she also sings lyrics beautifully on the powerful "The Birch and the Larch."

Like Schneider, Cope creates music that feels expansive and reflects on the larger world. On this album, she creates moving work that draws its inspiration from the lives of various female explores and pioneers. She has the benefit of a talented and expressive group of musicians who bring her pieces to life. The ensemble playing is very strong and there are excellent solo spots from many band members here. They include guitarist Ant Law on "Nabongo Feeling," tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael on "Amoboseli" and flugelhorn player Matt Soper on "Birch." This is a powerful album that establishes Claire Cope as a major new compositional voice.

Tracks and Personnel

Shades of Sound

Tracks: Spoonful; The Ballad of the Sad Young Men; Laughing At Life; Neetie's Blues; I Had Someone Else Before I Had You; Barbara Song; It's The Sentimental Thing To Do; Buster's Last Stand.

Personnel: Ryan Truesdell: conductor; Steve Kenyon, Steve Wilson, Dave Pietro, Donny McCaslin, Scott Robinson, Brian Landrus, Tom Christensen, Alden Banta: woodwinds; Adam Unsworth, David Peel: French horn; Augie Haas, Greg Gisbert, Mat Jodrell: trumpet; Ryan Keberle, Marshall Gilkes: trombone; George Flynn: bass trombone; Marcus Rojas: tuba; James Chirillo: guitar; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Jay Anderson: bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Wendy Gilles: voice; Lois Martin: viola.

Every Journey

Tracks: Every Journey (Has A Beginning); Flight; The Birch and the Larch; Isabel; The Light of the Dark; Amboseli; That Nabongo Feeling; Home.

Personnel: Claire Cope: piano; Brigitte Beraha: voice; Freddie Gavita: trumpet; Mike Soper: trumpet, flugelhorn; Anoushka Nanguy: trombone; Matt Carmichael: tenor sax; Rob Cope: bass clarinet, baritone sax, flute; Ant Law: guitar; Gavin Barras: bass; Jon Ormston: drums; Jack McCarthy: percussion.

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