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Danish Radio Big Band: Danish Radio Big Band: A Good Time Was Had By All
This six-CD box set commemorates the event, tracing the band's story from its rather shy birth in 1964 as Det Ny Radio Danseorkester, The New Radio Dance Orchestra, right up to the present (a concert in January with Dominican pianist Michel Camilo), marking the start of a new era under the leadership of Norwegian Birger Carlsen.
The set starts though with remembrance of times past: four numbers recorded by the DRBB in 1988 under its first conductor, Ib Glindemann. These recreate the sound of the New Radio Dance Orchestra and are notable for some fine, tight work by Jens Winther (trumpet) on "Ray's Idea" and confidently relaxed tenor from Jesper Thilo on a Marty Paich arrangement of "My Old Flame" and "Zoot," Bill Holman's tribute to Mr. Sims.
These are followed by the "real thing," a track by the original New Radio Dance Orchestra, recorded in 1966, with Lise Reinau, doyenne of Danish popular song, and Otto Brandenburg singing Glindemann's own composition, "To Og To Er Fem," Two And Two Are Five. It's dated, but fun.
The next three numbers feature the first of many DRBB guest conductors, none other than
Stan Kenton
piano1911 - 1979
Ben Webster
saxophone, tenor1909 - 1973
Birgit Bruel, a Danish singer who invested everything she did with a calm dignity, wends her way effortlessly through Gershwin's "But Not For Me" and Tom Jobim's "Once I Loved."
Six tracks on CD2, recorded live at Copenhagen's Montmartre jazz club, recall 1977-78, the DRBB's greatest, most creative period, when the mighty
Thad Jones
trumpet1923 - 1986
There are four numbers from the band's first British tour in 1987. Pianist Ole Kock Hansen was wielding the baton and the fire lit by Jones was now an ember, albeit one that still glowed brightly.
CD3 features two numbers from another UK tour four years later, with the band under the leadership of American arranger Ernie Wilkins, best known for his work with
Count Basie
piano1904 - 1984
Georgie Fame
piano and vocalsb.1943
Sweden's Marie Bergman, precursor to Lisa Ekdahl with her rather icky "little girl" vocal inflections, sings three songs, including a pretty good stab at "You Don't Know What Love Is." Then Tony Coe and
Bob Brookmeyer
trombone1929 - 2011
Art Farmer
flugelhorn1928 - 1999
After this, the DRBB experimented with various conductors and guest artists, arguably losing its way a little. CD4 opens with Britain's Django Bates conducting performances of three of his own idiosyncratic compositions, including the rollicking "Nights At The Circus."
Bob Brookmeyer returns to conduct Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias and the DRBB through three of his elegant arrangements of her songs, coming in now and again on valve trombone, with which he first made his mark in the 1950s in small groups fronted by
Jimmy Giuffre
clarinet1921 - 2008
Gerry Mulligan
saxophone, baritone1927 - 1996
CD5 features the DRBB conducted by Jim McNeely playing his own composition, "Triple Metamorphosis," featuring
Phil Woods
saxophone, alto1931 - 2015
CD6 wraps it all up in fine style. "Show Type Tune" is a track from a fine album made for Stunt Records in 2000 of songs written by
Bill Evans
piano1929 - 1980
Louis Armstrong
trumpet and vocals1901 - 1971
Track Listing
CD1: It’s The Talk Of The Town; Ray’s Idea; My Old Flame; Zoot; To Og To Er Fem (Two And Two Are Five); Malaguena; Stella By Starlight; Yesterdays; Things Ain’t What They Used To Be, Cry Me A River; Stompy Jones; Did You Call Her Tonight; Old Folks; Tempus Incertum Remanet Part One; Bojangles; But Not For Me; Once I Loved. CD2: The Farewell; Kids Are Pretty People; I Got Rhythm; Ebbe Skammelsen; Dancing Girls; A Good Time Was Had By All; Say It; Malus Scorpio Ritus; Crackdown; Vismanden. CD3: Nervous Charlie; Day Dream; Dedicacion a Santo Domingo; I Put A Spell On You; City Life; Right On – Off; You Don’t Know What Love Is; All Of Me; But Beautiful; Capt. Coe’s Famous Racearound; Fools Rush In; Was It you? CD4: Once A Penguin, Always A Penguin; The Strange Voyage Of Donald Crowhurst; Just Kiddin’; So In Love; One Side Of You; The Pathfinder; Dear Lord; Wild Bill. CD5: Triple Metamorphosis; Suingando; In A Mellotone; Second Line; The Governor; DRJO No. 1; Monster Piece; En Coulisse. CD6: Time Remembered; Oktober Nat; Show Type Tune; The Forest; Those Who Build; Joy; Hotter Than That; The Power And The Glory; Why Not.
Personnel
Lars Lindgren, Benny Rosenfeld, Jesper Riis, Henrik Bolberg, Anders Gustafsson, Thomas Fryland, Palle Bolvig, Jens Winther, Lars Togeby, Perry Knudsen, Palle Mikkelborg, Alan Botschinsky, Idrees Sulieman, Svend Lundvig, Henry Henkel, Arne Lamberth, Vagn Elsberg, Henrik Bolberg, Jan Kohlin, Art Farmer, Thomas Kjaergaard, Christer Gustafsson, Mads la Cour, Gerard Presencer, Leroy Jones: trumpet; Vincent Nilsson, Ture Larsen, Steen Hansen, Axel Windfeld, James Engell, Torolf M?lgaard, John Lind, Paul Kjeldgaard, Olle Kurt Jensen, Steen Engelholt, Helmuth Hansen, Per Espersen, Poul J?rgensen, Erling Kroner, Richard Boone, Lars Hougaard, Kjeld Ipsen, Giordano Bellincampi, Bob Brookmeyer, Klaus L?hrer, Peter Jensen, Alf Vestergaard, Annette Saxe, Jakob Munch Mortensen: trombone; Jesper Thilo, Jan zum Vohrde, Bent Jaedig, Uffe Karshov, Flemming Madsen, Preben Garnov, David Sternbach, Knud S?rensen, Per Larsen, Rolf Bilberg, Erling Christensen, Bent Jaedig, Uffe Karskov, Bent Nielsen, Ben Webster, Per Carsten, Michael Hove, Thomas Franck, Uffe Markussen, Bob Rockwell, Tony Coe, Christina von Bulow, Nicolai Schultz, Peter Fugelsang, Michael Bladt, Ksrl-Martin Almqvist, Anders Gaardmsnd, Filt Kristensen: saxophones; Olle Kock Hansen, Stsn Kenton, Nicolai Bentzon, Martial Solsl, Thomas Clausen, Michel Camilo: piano; Bjarne Roupc, Ole Molin, Bo Sylv?n, Anders Chico Lindvall, Per Gade: guitar; Jens Melgaard, Niels-Henning ?rsted Pedersen, Hugo Rasmussen, Mads Vinding, Jesper Lundgaard, Thomas Ovesen, Torben Westergaard, Kaspar Vadsholt: bass; Lennart Gruvstedt, Bjarne Rostvold, William Schi?ppfe, Jonas Johansen, S?ren Frost: drums; Ethan Weisgaard, John Steffensen, Per Nielsen, Kasper Winding, Peter Reim, Morten Gr?nvad: percussion; Ib Glindemann, Stan Kenton, Niels J?rgen Steen, Ray Pitts, Thad Jones, Ernie Wilkins, Olle Kock Hansen, Django Bates, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, Steve Sacks, Helge Albin, Palle Mikkelborg: conductors; Lise Reinau, Birgit Bruel, Richard Boone, Marie Bergman, Silvana Malta, Mona Larsen: vocals.
Album information
Title: Danish Radio Big Band: A Good Time Was Had By All | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Storyville Records
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