Soloist with Big Band backing

[Pete C]

I'm looking for recommendations and memory tweakers of albums where a featured soloist is backed by a big band in a one-off, for a Spotify playlist I'm putting together. So far I have Milt Jackson's Big Bags, Sonny Stitt and the Top Brass, tracks from Freddie Hubbard's The Body & Soul, Joe Henderson big band, Africa Brass, and the session of Bird with a big band (Night & Day & 3 other tracks). Two other favorites of mine, Charles McPherson's Today's Man and James Moody and the Brass Figures aren't available. I'm probably missing some obvious ones...

And of course Miles & Gil.

And maybe I'll also extend it to noted single-soloist features with working bands, like Christian/Goodman Solo Flight, and with Ellington, Lawrence Brown on Rose of the Rio Grande and Johnny Hodges on All of Me.

Edited January 8, 2012 by Pete C

[BFrank]

Not sure how tightly you want to define "one-off," but here are a few.

Tom Harrell - Times Mirror

McCoy Tyner - Uptown/Downtown

Johnny Griffin - Big Soul Band

Charles Tolliver - until his recent re-emergence had only released 2 BB albums (AFAIK).

Edited January 8, 2012 by BFrank

[marcello]

Does this fit the bill?

Gregory Herbert with Thad and Mel - "Greetings and Salutations"

[jlhoots]

How about Getz with Clarke / Boland.

[BillF]

[BillF]

No big band on this one, actually! Nice cover, though.

[BillF]

This is a great one!

[BillF]

And don't forget the British contribution!

[JSngry]

[A Lark Ascending]

John Surman featured throughout.

[sidewinder]

Edited January 8, 2012 by sidewinder

[JSngry]

or, for something alto-gether diffrent:

[A Lark Ascending]

Edited January 8, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[JSngry]

How about Getz with Clarke / Boland.

That is a superior effort by all concerned. Definitely.

This one is good, too:

[A Lark Ascending]

Three soloists, not one. In a way Azimuth is the soloist. Both superb.

Edited January 8, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[Alexander Hawkins]

Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass!

[Pete C]

I was trying to remember the title of that Dexter album, which I had on lp years ago. I didn't remember the tracks with Eddie Jefferson.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Was the Hodges/Welk album the one that Yuri Andropov liked?

[Pete C]

Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass!

Ernie Wilkins did a lot of projects like this. He was the arranger on McPherson's Today's Man, and parts of Big Bags.

I figured Manny Albam probably did some projects with featured soloists for Solid State, and I found this, new to me:

[JSngry]

If you're looking for organ featured with big band records, Jimmy Smith will more than fill the bucket.

Was the Hodges/Welk album the one that Yuri Andropov liked?

That, I do not know. But it remains a far, far better album than you think it would be, eve3n as it also remains pretty much totally inconsequential. One of those things that you want if you find it at the right time at the right place for the right price, but only if.

Sonny Rollins and the Big Brass!

There's also Old Flames, a Milestone date arranged by Jimmy Heath. All ballads, that one is.

[king ubu]

Half of what's been mentioned is more like "mid-size group with soloist(s)", isn't it?

Here's one more:

[paul secor]

Ornette soloing with a 12 piece band on some cuts

[Michael Weiss]

[king ubu]

Oh, yes, that Farmer's a beaut!

There's also this one with Dizzy the sole soloist (you reminded me of it, Michael, since both came out on CD in the "Verve Elite Edition"):

Edited January 8, 2012 by king ubu

[paul secor]

[medjuck]

Cannonball's African Waltz and the Gil Evan's record on which he's featured ("New Bottle's, Old Wine"?).