BIG BANDS: We’ll be playing from seven recently released recordings by contemporary big bands. For want of a better criterion, I’m playing the smallest [15] band first and the largest [21] last, with the others fitted in by incremental size.
So we start with Glenn Cashman and the Southland Big Band from Los Angeles, then onto the 16-pieces of Barry Romberg’s Random Access from Toronto. The Aggregation from New York City also contains 16 musicians. Mike Olson leads 17 musicians in a recording made in Minneapolis which uses probably the most experimental arrangements. Tenor-saxophonist Fred Hess leads his 17 musicians in Denver, although some are New York residents. Ed Palermo’s New York based 20-piece band has the distinction of being dedicated to the music of Frank Zappa.
The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra comes out at 21 musicians because, although the band normally numbers 15 members, on this recording it is augmented by six guests, including pianist/producer Donald Brown.
Artist: Glenn Cashman and the Southland Big Band
Album: Glenn Cashman and the Southland Big Band!
Tune: Aguas de Marco
Label: Primrose Lane
Artist: Glenn Cashman and the Southland Big Band
Album: Glenn Cashman and the Southland Big Band!
Tune: Blues in the Tunnel
Label: Primrose Lane
Artist: Barry Romberg’s Random Access
Album: Was, Shall, Why, Because
Tune: Stratus Fractus
Label: Romhog
Artist: The Aggregation
Album: Groove’s Mood
Tune: Brasilia
Label: DBCD
Artist: The Aggregation
Album: Groove’s Mood
Tune: Wade in the Water
Label: DBCD
Artist: Mike Olson
Album: Incidental
Tune: Incidental 5
Label: Henceforth
Artist: Mike Olson
Album: Incidental
Tune: Incidental 1
Label: Henceforth
Artist: Fred Hess Big Band
Album: Hold On
Tune: Hold On
Label: Dazzle
Artist: Fred Hess Big Band
Album: Hold On
Tune: Opposites Attract
Label: Dazzle
Artist: Ed Palermo Big Band
Album: Eddy Loves Frank
Tune: Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?
Label: Cuneiform
Artist: Ed Palermo Big Band
Album: Eddy Loves Frank
Tune: Dupree’s Paradise
Label: Cuneiform
Artist: Knoxville Jazz Orchestra
Album: Blues Man From Memphis
Tune: Daddy’s Girl Cynthia
Label: Blue Canoe
Artist: Knoxville Jazz Orchestra
Album: Blues Man From Memphis
Tune: Blues For Brother Jerome
Label: Blue Canoe
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“In A Mellow Tone” is on CKCU every Wednesday from 9:00 to 11:00pm
at 93.1FM in Ottawa and around the world on the Internet at
http://www.ckcufm.com/audio.html
Earlier playlists can be found at: www.inamellowtone.com
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Bill Coleman, 1904-1981
About Me
- Ron Sweetman
- Ron Sweetman has been an activist for jazz and blues since arriving in Canada in 1969. He was a founder member of L’Atelier de Musique Experimentale (1972), Jazz Ottawa (1976), and Music Now (1997). He has written for CODA magazine since 1970, and has been a member of the Down Beat International Critics Poll since 1982. He has hosted his weekly jazz and blues radio show “In A Mellow Tone” on CKCU-FM 93.1 since May 1976. In his spare time, Ron is a management consultant.
