I am not a big band fan. My ears live almost exclusively between the one and the nine. But there are exceptions to every rule, except perhaps for this one. Tonight I am listening to Bob Brookmeyer and the New Art Orchestra: New Works. This is a superb album, as good perhaps as Blues and the Abstract Truth.
It is what classical music people would call a concerto. Why aren't there more valve trombone players? This music builds its own venue: soft blue lights, a table with a drink or two, just off the stage. There is just you, your love, the orchestra, and Brookmeyer. All that resolves into a dialogue between your heart and the cage in which it beats.
If you don't have this disc, you have a hole in your collection. Here is a sample.
Bob Brookmeyer and the New Art Orchestra/Celebration Slow Dance/New Works
I used to like Bob Brookmeyer a lot but then somehow lost track. Thanks for introducing this great album.
ReplyDeleteAndreas: Thanks for the comment. The album is indeed a gem. I am thinking of doing a top ten "jazz concerto" list. This would be on it.
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