Favorite Modern Big Bands?

TromboneFox · by **TromboneFox** » 2019-01-01 8:12 p.m.

Hello all,

Do you have any favorite modern big bands or large swing ensembles/jazz orchestras/what have you? I'm on the hunt to expand the collection of big bands I listen to to include newer groups. The Jacob Mann Big Band, etc. Suggestions?

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2019-01-01 8:58 p.m.

Here around the Detroit area we have a few top-notch big bands:

Paul Keller Orchestra

Scott Gwinnell Orchestra

Planet D Nonet

Craig Strain Orchestra

P.O.R.K

Toledo Jazz Orchestra

Rhythm Society Orchestra

to name a few. Probably the most 'modern' of these are Paul and Scott's orchestras - both of those guys write some pretty great charts and have released significant albums.

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2019-01-01 10:06 p.m.

Darcy James Argue gets good reviews.

greenbean · by **greenbean** » 2019-01-01 10:18 p.m.

WDR Big Band

greenbean · by **greenbean** » 2019-01-01 10:20 p.m.

Gerald Wilson Orchestra. Depends how you define "modern," of course...

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2019-01-02 1:50 a.m.

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

http://www.bigphatband.com/

islander · by **islander** » 2019-01-02 4:37 a.m.

Indeed - depends on how you define "modern." My favourite of all was the Clarke-Boland Big Band, but if we're talking contemporary - how about the Bohuslan Big Band in Gothenburg? They've done some remarkable recordings.

LeoInFL · by **LeoInFL** » 2019-01-02 6:06 a.m.

[quote="Posaunus"]Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band

http://www.bigphatband.com/[/quote]

+1

Exceptional soloists and awesome arrangements. What I enjoy most is the each section gets their 'moment in the sun', playing intricate runs (even the bones) within the context of the arrangements.

Good stuff!

cmcslide · by **cmcslide** » 2019-01-02 11:24 a.m.

The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra. Current lineup has Marshall Gilkes and Ryan Keberle in the bone section. Also, Marshall Gilkes himself has a couple of really great big band albums. Also, I've been listening lately to a few latin big bands (Arturo O'Farrell, Dafnis Prieto, Bobby Sanabria). Finally, one more name to put out there is Jim McNeely, great writer who directs the Frankfurt Radio Big Band.

Redthunder · by **Redthunder** » 2019-01-02 12:10 p.m.

+1 for Jim McNeely.

Additionally, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a group McNeely has been associated with for a long time too.

The Christian McBride Big Band.

bellend · by **bellend** » 2019-01-03 5:32 a.m.

Louis Dowdswell Big Band.

Here in Christmas mode ( bit late I know ) <YOUTUBE id="df-D_e7tqXY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-D_e7tqXY</YOUTUBE>

BellEnd

Cmillar · by **Cmillar** » 2019-01-03 9:04 a.m.

John Daversa Big Band!

....don't know of him? Don't delay!

Numerous clips on YouTube.

kingsk1117 · by **kingsk1117** » 2019-01-03 9:44 a.m.

Matt Catingub Big Band

SwissTbone · by **SwissTbone** » 2019-01-03 10:25 a.m.

Great suggestions! Keep it coming!

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2019-01-03 11:10 a.m.

From The New York Times:

‘They’re Doing It Out of Love’: The Big Band Rises Again

Long seen as a vestige of jazz’s past, large ensembles are charging back, led by a new generation of musicians who see size as an opportunity, not a hindrance.

<LINK_TEXT text="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/arts ... vival.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/31/arts/music/jazz-big-band-revival.html</LINK_TEXT>

kingsk1117 · by **kingsk1117** » 2019-01-03 12:23 p.m.

And don't forget some of the University bands, most notably the University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band. (plus the Two O'Clock and Three O'Clock bands)

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2019-01-03 1:44 p.m.

It's probably worth noting that the L.A. area has an essentially revolving big band with various leaders: Tom Kubis, Scott Whitfield, Carl Saunders, Bill Holman, Bob Florence (deceased, alas), and several others besides Gordon Goodwin.

dershem · by **dershem** » 2019-01-04 9:14 p.m.

Dave Slonaker is doing some great stuff.

Ryan Haines has put out put some amazing CD's.

greenbean · by **greenbean** » 2019-01-05 1:59 a.m.

The Clare Fischer Big Band has been fantastic for a long, long time. Dozens of great recordings.

LesBone · by **LesBone** » 2019-01-05 10:27 p.m.

Check out LA based Steve Huffsteter "Gathered Around" on YouTube.

Spemrick · by **Spemrick** » 2019-01-07 7:20 p.m.

<YOUTUBE id="YnR0BDzcqJ4">https://youtu.be/YnR0BDzcqJ4</YOUTUBE>

Check out the Pittsburgh Collective, Dave Sanford director.

dershem · 2019-01-07 8:22 p.m.

Dave Slonaker is doing some amazing stuff. Ryan Haines has done some incredible CD's - he's a great bone player and writes some interesting changes.

jacobgarchik · by **jacobgarchik** » 2019-01-08 1:40 p.m.

gonna plug a bunch of bands I play with, some mentioned and some not

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

Dafnis Prieto Big Band

Mike Formanek Ensemble Kollosus

John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble

Justin Mullens Delphian Jazz Orchestra

Andrew D'Angelo Big Band

Alan Ferber Big Band

Ohad Talmor

"modern" is a can of worms.

BGuttman · by **BGuttman** » 2019-01-08 1:51 p.m.

Just find groups Jacob plays with. Also look for Josh Roseman (they seem to play together a lot).

Bach5G · by **Bach5G** » 2019-01-08 3:39 p.m.

“Modern is a can of worms”

I’m good with no Glenn Miller.

Chiptingle · by **Chiptingle** » 2019-01-11 12:58 p.m.

So many great bands, and many that are new to me.

But...I’m surprised The Mingus Big Band hasn’t been mentioned! Such a thriving, hungry coalition playing most every Monday night in NYC @ Jazz Standard.

ngrinder · by **ngrinder** » 2019-01-12 12:26 p.m.

I feel like Jacob mentioned all my favorite bands, but check out Brian Krock's "Big Heart Machine." I'm biased because I play in it, but the music is really great. Brian drew on a pretty eclectic mix of influences yielding some very cool results.

~~[url]~~<LINK_TEXT text="https://bigheartmachine.bandcamp.com/al ... rt-machine">https://bigheartmachine.bandcamp.com/album/big-heart-machine</LINK_TEXT>

~~[url]~~http://downbeat.com/news/detail/big-heart-machine

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2019-01-12 2:46 p.m.

[quote="Bach5G"]“Modern is a can of worms”

I’m good with no Glenn Miller.[/quote]

In The Mood kind of kills that band for a lot of musicians, but they were really one of the good bands of the period. Not as sharp as Artie Shaw's Orchestra or Basie, but still pretty good, and they actually did some good tunes like Sun Valley Jump and their big band version of Anvil Chorus.

Grah · by **Grah** » 2019-01-12 6:56 p.m.

Stan Bann Big Band

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/stanbann

Also Stan's arrangements for trombone groups, concert band, big band etc. are great!

BurckhardtS · by **BurckhardtS** » 2019-01-15 3:29 a.m.

I was at the JEN conference in Reno NV this week, and I heard the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors. They were the highlight of the conference for me. I don't think I've heard a big band play that tightly before live. Liesl Whitaker was playing lead trumpet and absolutely laying it down for the rest of the band. The soloists were great, and they also had great programming variety, which a lot of the bands I watched this week lacked.

Chiptingle · by **Chiptingle** » 2019-01-15 12:15 p.m.

One of my Mingus favs:

<YOUTUBE list="PLaZMr343rK5I_H4_AMk1E9PZVDlhmrtLc"><LINK_TEXT text="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... ZVDlhmrtLc">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaZMr343rK5I_H4_AMk1E9PZVDlhmrtLc</LINK_TEXT></YOUTUBE>

TheSheriff · by **TheSheriff** » 2019-01-15 4:34 p.m.

[quote="islander"]Indeed - depends on how you define "modern." My favourite of all was the Clarke-Boland Big Band, but if we're talking contemporary - how about the Bohuslan Big Band in Gothenburg? They've done some remarkable recordings.[/quote]
=======

The Clark-Boland band took no prisoners! My kind of big band. Swingin! For me, so much of the newer contemporary stuff ain't swingin', not in the least.

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King2bPlus · by **King2bPlus** » 2019-01-15 5:43 p.m.

Jens Wendelboe Big Band

Bohuslan Big Band

Brett Gold NY Jazz Orchestra

Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Chicago Jazz Orchestra

Eyal Vilner Big Band

Ian Charleton Big Band

islander · by **islander** » 2019-01-16 6:08 a.m.

[quote="TheSheriff"]<QUOTE author="islander" post_id="74478" time="1546421823" user_id="3375">
Indeed - depends on how you define "modern." My favourite of all was the Clarke-Boland Big Band, but if we're talking contemporary - how about the Bohuslan Big Band in Gothenburg? They've done some remarkable recordings.[/quote]
=======

The Clark-Boland band took no prisoners! My kind of big band. Swingin! For me, so much of the newer contemporary stuff ain't swingin', not in the least.

----------
</QUOTE>

I lead a big band in London dedicated to playing C-BBB music. We've had a load of stuff transcribed - including the entirety of "Fellini 712" - that high-water mark of the genre. Such a distinctive sound, and what players! Not many survivors of the band left now, but Tony Coe came to one of our concerts to hear Fellini 712 - first time it was played since 1968. He was thrilled. I met Erik van Lier a few years ago - he's still swinging hard.

TheSheriff · by **TheSheriff** » 2019-01-16 8:45 a.m.

[quote="islander"]<QUOTE author="TheSheriff" post_id="75465" time="1547588075" user_id="3528">

=======

The Clark-Boland band took no prisoners! My kind of big band. Swingin! For me, so much of the newer contemporary stuff ain't swingin', not in the least.

----------[/quote]

I lead a big band in London dedicated to playing C-BBB music. We've had a load of stuff transcribed - including the entirety of "Fellini 712" - that high-water mark of the genre. Such a distinctive sound, and what players! Not many survivors of the band left now, but Tony Coe came to one of our concerts to hear Fellini 712 - first time it was played since 1968. He was thrilled. I met Erik van Lier a few years ago - he's still swinging hard.
</QUOTE>
-------

Lucky you having played a bunch of the transcribed stuff. I've played their version of Johnny One Note and a few others that I can't remember the names of. What a great mix of guys; Brits, Europeans, and Americans. Nat Peck, Ake Persson, and Erik van Lier! Great trombone section. I believe Nat was an original member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I never tire of listening to the Clarke-Boland Big Band.

======

TheSheriff · by **TheSheriff** » 2019-01-16 8:52 a.m.

[quote="King2bPlus"]Jens Wendelboe Big Band

Bohuslan Big Band

Brett Gold NY Jazz Orchestra

Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Chicago Jazz Orchestra

Eyal Vilner Big Band

Ian Charleton Big Band[/quote]
-----------

I was the lead bone player in the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for 35 years. In the early days the band was called The Jazz Members Big Band. After co-leader Steve Jensen passed, the name was changed to the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

========

dukesboneman · by **dukesboneman** » 2019-01-31 11:15 p.m.

My personal favorites.

Vanguard Orchestra

Darcy James Argue`s Secret Society

The Flat Earth Society ( Look `em up - Fantastic)

Captain Black Big Band

The MK Groove Orchestra

RustBeltBass · by **RustBeltBass** » 2019-06-16 12:40 p.m.

Gordon Godwin’s big phat band

WDR Big Band Cologne

Bob Mintzer Bug Band

ExZacLee · by **ExZacLee** » 2019-06-19 11:26 a.m.

Oh Gosh, where do I start!

Dafnis Prietos' new band is killing - there are a few bands now really getting the cuban thing down in the music, this group is - wow.

Mariah Schneider Orchestra - sublime.

Darcy James Argue - it's like film music for a post-apocalyptic after party.

Roy Hargrove big band from a few years ago.

John Diversa's big band. He likes to play in the sandbox!

Ingrid Jensen's stuff with her sister's arrangements is really nice, I really dig it!

There was an album recently with Mary Lou Williams' music with the Dutch Jazz Orchestra that I really dug. Mary Lou Williams' music has always been ahead of its time, go check out the stuff she wrote for Andy Kirk's clouds of joy in the 30's, it's pretty modern sounding. Such a wonderful composer, should be a household name.

The Bob Belden ensemble's take on Turandot was pretty special.

The Village Vangard Jazz Orchestra is absolutely monstrous! The Thad Jones stuff, the Jim McNeely stuff, that band can play everything and just destroys you. Relentless...

Duke Ellington's work still holds up well today - check out Far East Suite if you haven't already.

A few years ago I got to sit in on a rehearsal at the union (I think it was the 802?) in NYC and after we were done I heard some of Ted Nash's big band rehearsal - that stuff was really killing. I don't know if they recorded it or not - I Imagine so.

BurckhardtS · by **BurckhardtS** » 2019-06-20 3:11 a.m.

You HAVE to check out Dafnis Prieto, and his big band. He came to our university for our jazz festival a month ago. His charts are insanely difficult, and also extremely exciting at the same time, not contrived at all. I've also never seen someone energize both the band and the audience quite like that before.

I saw the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra live a few months back, and they absolutely swung their asses off and played super tight. It was worth the watch.

The Jazz Ambassadors are an excellent ensemble if you can hear them live! I heard them at the Reno JEN conference in January and I was absolutely floored.

Gary · by **Gary** » 2019-06-20 2:06 p.m.

Back to the German Radio/T.V. big bands, they're all great, but my favourite is the NDR, primarily for its frequent adventurous programming.

ddsbstrb · by **ddsbstrb** » 2019-07-24 11:55 p.m.

Hey trombone-players, how could you overlook a really great big band which has been active in the LA-area for many years, also, lead by a pretty fine trombonist, Mike Barone. Mike has been around for many years and is one of the most underrated jazz arranger/composers still putting a band together.

I have been taking a few of his charts off his website and putting the parts into a Finale-score, for play-back and study utilization. They are all works-of-art.

Mike has a bunch of You Tube's of his band, in a studio setting, with really great audio and video. Check this band out! How about LA lead trombonist-legend, Charlie Loper. Charlie has to be in his 80's and still gets it done.

Mikebmiller · by **Mikebmiller** » 2019-10-19 9:09 a.m.

The Hip Bone big band with Michael Davis put out a fantastic CD last year. Trombone solos on every tune.

Gary · by **Gary** » 2019-10-19 2:08 p.m.

Upper Austrian Art Orchestra

Vienna Art Orchestra

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Favorite Modern Big Bands?