Scott Robinson

The Manchester Craftsman's Guild in Pittsburgh offers another rousing live concert date in this varied program led by the eclectic saxophonist who is best known as one of the Yellowjackets – but whose early résumé also boasts everyone from Tito Puente to Thad Jones and the Mel Lewis Big Band. A dash here and a dollop there of each of these influences make this a varied date whose appeal extends beyond big-band fans and embraces those who love bebop, a touch of the avant-garde, the progressive spirit of the Yellowjackets (most notably Russell Ferrante, who contributes stunning percussive solos on pieces like the crazed, polyrhythmic "Mofongo"), and the great contemporary vocalist Kurt Elling.

Maria Schneider Orchestra - Sky Blue (2007) {ArtistShare AS0065}
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© 2007 ArtistShare / Maria Schneider | AS0065
Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Post-Bop / Modern Big Band / Progressive Jazz

Traditional big band arranging focuses on give and take between sections - trumpets, trombones and reeds - with rhythm support. Spiced with counterpoint and polyrhythms, this approach still produces some very exciting music. That's not where Maria Schneider is at. She cuts across sections and emphasizes ensemble color and sound, a way pioneered by Ellington, and developed by her mentor, Gil Evans. In liner notes as moving as her music, Schneider describes her starting point. "…I cast out a few exploratory tones in search of meaningful sound. Given a little gestation time, the seeds of each piece started to pop, revealing something very personal. I found myself either on a journey back in time or deep inside myself, the music exposing even more than I'd consciously felt from any of the actual experiences. The experiences transmuted into sound…".

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Evanescence (1994) {Enja ENJ-8048 2}
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© 1994 Enja Records ‎| ENJ-8048 2
Jazz / Experimental Big Band / Post-Bop / Modern Big Band / Progressive Jazz

Maria Schneider's debut as a leader is quite impressive. Her complex arrangements of her nine originals are most influenced by Gil Evans and Bob Brookmeyer, although her own musical personality shines through. There are strong solos from tenors Rick Margitza and Rich Perry, trumpeter Tim Hagan, altoist Tim Ries, and particularly pianist Kenny Werner, but it is the moody ensembles that most stick in one's mind. Schneider's arrangements are often dense, a bit esoteric, and thought-provoking; this music may need several listens for one to grasp all that is going on.

Maria Schneider Orchestra - Allégresse (2000) {Enja Records ENJ-9393 2}
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© 2000 Enja Records | ENJ-9393 2
Jazz / Modern Big Band / Experimental Big Band / Progressive Jazz

GRAMMY–NOMINATED – Best Large Jazz Ensemble Recording. There have been very few orchestral composers in jazz who achieved creative success, if only because such a combination of talents–from logistics to force of will to the openness to input from the players–is wildly rare. Maria Schneider, once a protégée of Gil Evans, has been demonstrating those talents since her orchestra's debut in 1994, Evanescence. The vagaries of big bands make working relationships particularly important, and Schneider is attuned to every nuance and timbre of her musicians.

Feeling Good is well named: the feelgood vibe is strong and the love of music that reaches out from this album is pretty much guaranteed to leave listeners with a similarly good feeling. It's the second album from Joan Chamorro - bassist, saxophonist and director of Barcelona's Sant Andreu Jazz Band - and the band's star member, the teenage singer and instrumentalist Andrea Motis. Chamorro's name may come first, but it's Motis' personality that shines through most strongly on Feeling Good. Chamorro can take much of the credit for this - he's mentored Motis and other members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band for some years, creating a band with the talent and maturity that belies the ages of its members (who are between 9 and 20 years old)…