Large Ensemble Jazz Recordings in the 21st Century

[clifford_thornton]

Bill Dixon, 17 Musicians In Search of a Sound: Darfur is also quite something.

Have quite a bit of LJCO but haven't kept up with more recent large ensemble works.

[John Tapscott]

[jlhoots]

Bob Belden: Turandot

[soulpope]

5 hours ago, John Tapscott said:

Great Cover Photography 👌👍 ....

[mikeweil]

https://www.discogs.com/release/19949926-Sunday-Night-Orchestra-Overcast-The-Music-Of-Ed-Partyka

[soulpope]

The Spanish Harlem Orchestra should also be mentioned ....

[clifford_thornton]

Little Huey still convenes once in a while. Of course the recordings from the 1990s/early 00s are tremendous.

[colinmce]

Much love for this one:

and this is a total masterpiece:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.Con.Res.57/Treasure_Box

[danasgoodstuff]

the Land of Living Skies!

Enrico Rava and a bunch of Italians I never heard of play stuff written or co-written by MJ, plus Smile by Chaplin which was his favorite tune, I thought it was brilliant

[Guy Berger]

My faves that I’ve heard are Henry Threadgill’s Dirt and More Dirt and Steve Coleman’s Synovial Joints.

i have also enjoyed Michael Formanek’s The Distance and Tim Berne’s Open Coma.

I may be forgetting other recordings of interest!

[Chuck Nessa]

Any opinions on Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra?

[JSngry]

I like what I've heard.

[T.D.]

I enjoy the Alan Silva "Treasure Box" set (though I just have regular CDs)...Celestrial Communication Orchestra HR57 I-IV

Though it might be in the "interesting rather than great" category.

Recorded 2001, released 2003, just squeaks in time-wise.

Edited August 15, 2024 by T.D.

[mjazzg]

Thinking about Braxton there's the Zim Music and Echo Echo Mirror House recordings

2 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Any opinions on Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra?

Consistently interesting over a good number of years/releases, in whatever iteration

[HutchFan]

I don't think anyone has mentioned Kenny Wheeler yet.  

I've really enjoyed these:

 

and

[clifford_thornton]

11 hours ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Any opinions on Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra?

they're rad. They also did a CD with Bill Dixon that I like quite a bit.

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, HutchFan said:

I don't think anyone has mentioned Kenny Wheeler yet.  

I've really enjoyed these:

 

and

How did I forget Kenny?!!

[clifford_thornton]

I'll admit I'm really only familiar with somewhat vintage Wheeler big band material.

[mjazzg]

His writing remained strong and very melodic right up to the end really.

There's been some concerts here recently revisiting his big band scores, some newly discovered. I'm hoping for a recording.

[Steve Reynolds]

Peter Brotzmann Tentet:

Stone/Water

Walk, Love Sleep

the 2 sets from 3 Nights in Oslo

these last 2 are fully improvised and are among the greatest recordings of this century 

Barry Guy New Orchestra: Inscape/Tableaux

seconds on Fire Orchestra / my favorites are Enter & Exit

seconds on Taylor Ho Bynum’s Enter the Plustet

Ken Vandermark’s Resonance Ensemble: Head Above Water/Feet out of the Fire

most of KV’s large bands have been great. Throroughly overlooked and undervalued 

Colin Webster / 2 new great 8 piece improvs CD’s

many many more but not sure I’ve got the patience to dig thru my racks. 

Edited August 15, 2024 by Steve Reynolds

[clifford_thornton]

Definite +1 on the Brötzmann Tentet. I like Be Music, Night a lot especially.

[Rabshakeh]

What are we saying is a big band? I have always operated on the basis of big band = >10.

If a tentet is a big band then those Chicago Tentet records have to be in there. They’re fantastic.

I don’t know those KV records. For me he is a Gerry Mulligan figure: I don’t care about his playing much but great writer and arranger and the stuff he’s on tends to just work better because of his presence.

[Guy Berger]

On 8/14/2024 at 8:36 PM, Chuck Nessa said:

Any opinions on Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra?

AMAZING (I’ve only heard the 1st two on Thrill Jockey)

[mjazzg]

Just playing,

Cassie Kinoshi' s Seed - Gratitude [International Anthem]

Kinoshi is relatively young and developing a very interesting composition and arranging voice most evident on recordings with her Seed Ensemble but other work with smaller string ensembles is as yet unrecorded. One for the future.

[colinmce]

On 8/15/2024 at 4:58 PM, Steve Reynolds said:

Colin Webster / 2 new great 8 piece improvs CD’s

These are new to me. Listening now and it's sounding great.