Big Bands of 1965-1979

[JSngry]

36 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Sorry - one more question: is Top Forty Horn Bands a term that a non jazz fan would use? Or would your average rock/pop/funk lover just think Tower or Power was a psychedelic soul group whereas Blood Sweat and Tears were whatever they were (never listened to them)?

At the time, the term was "jazz-rock", even if there was nothing really "jazz" about it. It was pop/rock with horns.

Today, the most commonly recognized name might be just "horn bands".

But there is a distinction between a pop/rock horn band and a soul/R&B horn band. The latter music dann near ALWAYS had horns, before, during, and after the "jazz-rock" period. James Brown ALWAYS had horns. Otis Redding ALWAYS had horns. BB King ALWAYS had horns. Rock/Pop did not ALWAYS have horns. So when discerning different categories of bands (if we really must...and do we?), it's important to note that Tower of Power HAD to have horns because they were a SOUL band first, and everything else second. AWB, Scots though they were, they were a SOUL band (and had the African-American fan base to prove it). Blood Sweat & Tears was not a Soul Band (even in their original Al Kooper incarnation, and even though they led off their first album (first song, anyway) with a Donny Hathaway song) . Chicago for damn sure NEVER was.

And true to form, a few bands had hits, and next thing you know, EVERYBODY had horns and record deals. Most either sucked or mioght as well have. But a few of them at least made it interesting, a few, like Archie Whitewater and Azteca more than a little interesting.

And then there's Cold Blood)...

records never really did them justice, but...

[T.D.]

24 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Speaking of Chicago, I super-vaguely remember like I read gosh-knows-where once, that Chicago did a sort of half-‘traditional’ big band album of some sort (or maybe it was just a few tracks).

I never heard it, nor was I terribly curious — but now I’m wondering if I’m just imagining I heard about it once online.

Ring any bells for anyone??

https://www.discogs.com/master/402589-Chicago-Night-Day-Big-Band

Recorded 1995. I never heard it.

Though I will soon listen to some of it on Youtube...

[Added: First impressions not positive, gave up.]

Edited August 31, 2022 by T.D.

[JSngry]

15 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Never really understood Maynard Ferguson's career, although I like that Jimmy's record a lot. He just seems to pop up out of nowhere.

Dude, Maynard was a "star" going back to the early 1950s and Stan Kenton. How he got back into big public eye is a long and typically Maynard-ish story. Let's just say that he had a ready-made fan base and had no problem adding to it once he got back into it.

[JSngry]

Chase 1971:

 

 

[JSngry]

Oh yeah, SHOW bands!

 

[JSngry]

Soul bands

Pop bands

ok, Spiral Staircase in no way a "jazz-rock" or horn band, BUT that song is not right without horns, it was on the air when horn bands were in, and besides, Charles Earland FTW aka QED!)

[JSngry]

Horns were EVERYWHERE!!!! Whether the needed to be there or not!!!!!

 

[jazzcorner]

On 27.6.2022 at 3:20 PM, Rabshakeh said:

I've never even heard of Seabreeze. Is it a vanity imprint for school and university bands?

Some time ago I did reply  to the topic of this thread. I am really a big band fan. I admit that BB are not too often discussed at Organissimo.

Re your question: This is a nice west coast label  ( Now SeaBreeze Jazz) and I have quite a bit of this label. Very good vinyl pressing quality and recently also CD's.

If you are interested I can run a query from my Paradox database for you (pm if you wish) because its quite a list.

Edited September 9, 2022 by jazzcorner

[Rabshakeh]

Still on the Horn Bands, what about early Mothers of Invention? They had introduced horns by 1967. I often think you can hear their influence in the likes of Dave Pike and the early German and British fusion guys.

[JSngry]

Try this when you have the tine: https://www.wolfgangs.com/playlists/1249456.html