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Fred Hess Big Band / Timucua Jazz Orchestra / Michael Treni
Fred Hess Big BandHold On
Dazzle Records
2010
When listening to Hold On, composer / arranger / saxophonist 
Fred Hess
saxophone, tenorb.1944
Matt Wilson
drumsb.1964
Aside from a few cacophonous lapses (on "Gypsy / Chuggin,'" "RBHM—KNNK" and "The Clefs"), this is high-grade big-band fare all the way, with provocative charts by Hess, impressive blowing by the ensemble and persuasive solos by almost everyone who steps forward. As to the discord, Hess' purpose was to honor big-band music from the 1950s onward, and that includes themes by 
Gary McFarland
vibraphone
1933 - 1971
Anthony Braxton
woodwinds
b.1945
Sun Ra
piano
1914 - 1993
The curtain-raiser, "Good Question," is a charming 12-bar blues with crisp solos by Hess on tenor, trombonist "
data-original-title="" title="">The Atomic Fireballs, alto 
John Gunther
saxophone, tenorMarc Sabatella
piano
b.1965
Ken Filiano
bass
b.1952
Rob McConnell
trombone
1935 - 2010
Alan Hood
trumpet
b.1964
Dominic Lalli
saxophone
Johnny Griffin
saxophone, tenor
1928 - 2008
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
saxophone, tenor
1922 - 1986
Ron Miles
cornet
1963 - 2022
Bill Perkins
guitar
1924 - 2003
Brad Goode
trumpet
b.1963
Hess certainly covers all the bases, and does so with deftness and elan over the album's 78 minute playing time. A bright contemporary session that more than achieves its purpose.
The Timucua Jazz Orchestra
Live @ Timucua
Timucua Records
2010
There are at least three things that can be avowed with certainty about Live @ Timucua: the Timucua Jazz Orchestra hails from the Orlando, Florida, area; its leader is composer / arranger / trumpeter Benoit Glazer; and the members of the ensemble are by no means novices. Glazer, who limits his duties to conducting apart from "Rupture" and, "Marche pour L'Enfer," on which he solos, gives his colleagues plenty of tough meat to chew on, and every morsel is cleanly and efficiently consumed. This one of those CD-plus-DVD packages, and that's a good thing, as there's not only a chance to hear but also to see the orchestra in action. However, three of the more engaging numbers—the standard "Out of Nowhere," 
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano
1927 - 1994
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
1933 - 2023
What remains are Bill Coon's buoyant "Blues for Two," Alex Clements
piano
After opening with "Blues for Two" (emphatic solos courtesy of tenors Dietz and Jeff Ruppert) and "Cycles I and II," the CD proceeds to Glazer's "Morning Moonset," "Fanny's Blues," "Rupture," "Sorry to Lose You" and "Marche pour L'Enfer." Besides those already named, the enterprising ad-libbers include alto 
Eddie Marshall
drums
b.1938
Alain Bradette
saxophone
b.1965
Michael Treni
Turnaround
Bell Production
2010
Michael Treni, a trombonist-turned-educator-turned-businessman-turned-composer / arranger / bandleader, marks his latest Turnaround with a well-measured CD / DVD comprising eight of his original themes performed by top-of-the-line musicians from the New York City area and beyond. While not everyone might agree with Treni's political philosophy (as summed up in his didactic liner notes), there's no disparaging the music, which is inflexibly thought-provoking as well as contemporary in the best sense of the word.
Treni writes with soloists in mind, and the several members of the ensemble who step out front are given ample time and space in which to express their persuasive points of view. These include trumpeters Vinnie Cutro
trumpet
b.1953
Craig Yaremko
saxophone
b.1978
Jerry Bergonzi
saxophone, tenor
b.1947Charles Blenzig
piano
Gerry Niewood
saxophone
1943 - 2009
The solos on Turnaround spring forth plausibly from within charts that are harmonically pleasing and rhythmically strong. There's ample variety, with a three-member string section added to enhance the melodious "Lady Mariko" (on which Elmo's limpid soprano sax is featured). "Unity" moves along at a lively clip with solos to match by Blenzig and Cutro, after which "Blues for Charlie" plunges deeply into that idiom, enwrapping perceptive statements by Bryan, Bergonzi and Yaremko. "Tender Moments" is an easy-going showpiece for Bergonzi and Gibson, "Tenor-Brio" a mid-tempo march in which Elmo and Bergonzi earnestly trade salvos with no evident winner. Treni, Matt Bilyk, Gibson, Ferrel and Philip Jones are the soloists on "Bone Happy."
The companion DVD is definitely a codicil, as it consists of comments by Treni and various members of the ensemble interspersed with musical snippets from the recording. Still, it's interesting to hear the musicians discuss their camaraderie and admiration for the leader's music, even if none of the charts is presented from start to finish. A progressive and resourceful big-band session that can stand its ground in any arena.
Howard University Jazz Ensemble 2009
Bright Moments
HUJE
2010
Every year since 1976, almost like clockwork, the Howard University Jazz Ensemble has entered a recording studio to gauge its development; and every year, without fail, it has produced an album of big-band jazz that would make any band director (in this case, Fred Irby III) proud and happy. Bright Moments, the 35th recording in the series, is a snapshot of the 2009 edition of the HUJE, and as always, the album teems with delightful melodies and resourceful charts, handsomely performed by Prof. Irby's enterprising undergraduates.
The engaging program includes popular standards by 
Cole Porter
composer / conductor
1891 - 1964
Michel Legrand
piano
1932 - 2019
Freddie Hubbard
trumpet
1938 - 2008
Neal Hefti
trumpet
1922 - 2008
Lee Morgan
trumpet
1938 - 1972
Jimmy Blanton
bass, acoustic
1918 - 1942
Duke Ellington
piano
1899 - 1974
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
woodwinds
1935 - 1977
Cecil Bridgewater
trumpet
b.1942
Bridgewater also arranged Morgan's lovely waltz, "Ceora," while Mike Crotty
composer / conductorAlan Baylock
composer / conductor
This is another in a long and continuing series of triumphs by the Howard University ensemble, one with more than enough Bright Moments to pacify even the most critical big-band enthusiast.
Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble
The Life of Swing
NIU Jazz
2010
Since its earliest days under the legendary director Ron Modell, the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble has been about swinging, a point of view that has arisen even stronger under director Ronald Carter who continues to emphasize swing above all else. The four albums prior to The Life of Swing were We Came to Swing, Swingin' Into the New Millennium, Swingin' It Live and Swinging Every Which Way But Loose. Like those previous albums, Life of Swing was recorded live, with no edits, during a series of springtime concerts in 2004.
After opening on an emphatic note with "Swinging for the Fences," 
Gordon Goodwin
composer / conductor
b.1954
Sammy Nestico
composer / conductor
1924 - 2021
Horace Silver
piano
1928 - 2014
Peggy Lee
vocals
1920 - 2002
Johnny Mandel
arranger
b.1925Vance Thompson
trumpet
Melton Mustafa
trumpet
b.1947
Among the soloists, Ward is a standout (he's heard again on "Fences," "There's the Rub" and "Love for Sale"), as is Stamps ("Emily," "Fences"). Others seizing their chance to shine are trumpeters Max Keisner, Ralph Disylvestro, Albert Strong and Chris Davis; alto Mai Sugimoto, tenor Robert Collazo, baritone Nate Heffron, pianist Sean Higgins, guitarist Nick Fryer, bassist Josh Ramos and drummers Iajhi Hampden and Phil Beal. The NIU Jazz Ensemble has been honored, and deservedly so, as one of the foremost college-level bands in the country. The Life of Swing will surely do nothing to alter that appraisal. The ensemble is in topnotch form while the audio quality is admirable, especially for a concert date.
Capital University Big Band
Swingin' Our Way Through Europe
Self Published
2010
While this upbeat album celebrates a July 2006 tour of three European countries (Switzerland, France, Italy) by the Capital University Jazz Ensemble from Columbus, Ohio, only one of its 10 tracks was actually recorded "on tour," the others in a studio shortly after the ensemble's return home. The exception is the funky closer "Dangerous Curves," composed by 
Jeff Golub
guitar
1955 - 2015
The ensemble is ably directed by Dr. Lou Fischer, a bassist and president-elect of the new Jazz Education Network, who also wrote and arranged the group's edgy salute to the avant-garde, "Weather, You Needn't," and scored pianist Sean Ferguson's lovely ballad feature, "Can You Feel the Rush?" Completing the program are seldom-heard originals by 
Thad Jones
trumpet
1923 - 1986
Dave Zoller
piano
Thelonious Monk
piano
1917 - 1982Duke Ellington
piano
1899 - 1974Bill Potts
b.1928
Johnny Hodges
saxophone, alto
1907 - 1970
The ensemble is trim and well-rehearsed, the soloists lively and industrious, especially Ferguson, alto / soprano Billy Wolfe, trumpeter Jason Ferrell (featured on "Lyric for a Jazzman"), guitarist Kirk Schoenherr and trombonist Joel Senkar. Even though this is for the most part a studio session, you can sense that the audiences on the ensemble's European tour in 2006 must have been duly impressed.
Tracks and Personnel
Hold On
Tracks: Good Question; For Thomas; Hold On; Sicilienne / Greensleeves; Opposites Attract; A Night to Remember; Pretty Little Gypsy / Chuggin'; On Perry Street; RBHM—KNNK; The Clefs Visit Grandma's; Knitwit for Tara.
Personnel: Fred Hess: composer, arranger, leader, tenor sax; Tyler Gilmore: conductor; Brad Goode, Dave Rajewski, Al Hood, Ron Miles: trumpet; John Gunther, Johan Eriksson: alto sax; Dominic Lalli: tenor sax; Mark Harris: baritone sax; Tom Ball, Nelson Hinds, Hoyt Andres: trombone; Gary Mayne: bass trombone; Marc Sabatella: piano; Ken Filiano: bass; Matt Wilson: drums.
Live @ Timucua
Tracks: Out of Nowhere; Blues for Two; Cycles I; Cycles II; Dindi; Yes or No; Morning Moonset; Fanny's Blues; Rupture; Sorry to Lose You; Marche pour L'Enfer.
Personnel: Benoit Glazer: composer, conductor, trumpet, percussion; Chad Shoopman, Bob Franklin, Mike Iapichino, Tom Parmerter: trumpet; Eddie Marshall, Jeff Rupert, Alain Bradette (1-4, 6-9), Tom Dietz, Rose Rottmayer, David MacKenzie (5, 10, 11): reeds; Keith Oshiro, Claire Courchene (5, 7, 8-11), James Hosmer, Dean Dukes (1-4, 6), Tony Hill, Will Nestler: trombone; Marissa Zambito, Juan Berrios, Camille Glazer (5): horns; Bobby Koelble: guitar; Chris Rottmayer: piano; Chuck Archard: bass; Keith Wilson: drums.
Turnaround
Tracks: Turnaround; Lady Mariko; Unity; Blues for Charlie; Tender Moments; Tenor-Brio; Bone Happy; Awhile.
Personnel: Tracks 1, 2, 4-7: Michael Treni: composer, arranger, conductor, trombone (7); Bill Ash, Kevin Bryan, Vinnie Cutro: trumpet; Chris Persad: flugelhorn; Sal Spicola, alto sax, flute, clarinet; Craig Yaremko: alto sax, flute; Jerry Bergonzi: tenor sax; Frank Elmo: tenor, soprano sax, clarinet; Roy Nicolosi: baritone sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Matt Bilyk, Bob Ferrel, Dave Gibson: trombone; Philip Jones: bass trombone; Charles Blenzig: piano; Takashi Otsuka: bass; Ron Vincent: drums; David Belmont, Rick Dekovessey, Matthew Nicolosi, Roy Nicolosi: percussion; Faina Agranov, Ina Berkhin (2): violin; Susan O'Connor (2): viola; Jeffrey Szabo (2): cello. Tracks 3, 8: Michael Treni: composer, arranger, conductor; Bill Ash, Kevin Bryan, Vinnie Cutro, Mike Ponella: trumpet; Sal Spicola: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Gerry Niewood: alto, soprano sax, flute; Larry Puentes: tenor sax, clarinet; Rich Reiter: tenor sax, flute, clarinet; Roy Nicolosi: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Steve Austin, Matt Bilyk, Conrad Zulaf: trombone; Philip Jones: bass trombone; Charles Blenzig: piano; Takashi Otsuka: bass; Ron Vincent: drums.
Soul Searching
Tracks: Laura; Yes or No; Cerulean Skies; Sumo; John Coltrane Suite: Looking Back; Soul Searching; Concerto to End All Concertos.
Personnel: Robert Baca: director; Chris Bresette, Tom Krochock, John Raymond, Josh Pauly, Josh Nims: trumpet; Jim Geddes, Corey Cunningham: alto sax; Evan Benidt, Aaron Hedenstrom: tenor sax; Brian Handeland: baritone sax; Kyle Siegrist, Rachel Carter, Matt Hiel, Justin Verhasselt: trombone; Michael Wolter: guitar; Brandon Covelli: piano; Andrew Detra: bass; Kyle Good, Brian Claxton: drums.
Bright Moments
Tracks: The Intrepid Fox; Someday My Prince Will Come; Tuesday; Bright Moments; Windmills of Your Mind; I've Got You Under My Skin; Li'l Darlin'; Ceora; Who Can I Turn To?; Prisoner of a Dream; Earth, Wind and Fire Medley #2; Sophisticated Ladies; Let's Face the Music and Dance.
Personnel: Fred Irby III: director; Kieron Irvine, Rashid Hughes, Donvonte McCoy, Norberto Mejicanos, Wesley Meyer, Malcolm Stokes, Danielle Ashton: trumpet, flugelhorn; Brent Birckhead: alto, soprano sax; Michael Brandon: alto sax; Isaiah Allen, Elijah Balbed, David Onley: tenor sax; Ashton Vines: tenor, alto sax; Harry Taylor: baritone sax; Seth Rees, Richard Milburn Jr., Christopher Steele: trombone; Timothy Johnson, Matthew Caraballo: bass trombone; Amy Bormet: piano, Fender Rhodes; Joshua Walker: guitar; Karine Chapdelaine, Jarrin Moore: acoustic, electric bass; Carroll V. Dashiell III, Ashton Fuller: drums.
The Life of Swing
Tracks: Swinging for the Fences; Samantha; Nica's Dream; Angel Eyes; Fever; There's the Rub; Emily; That's Life; From East to West; Love for Sale.
Personnel: Ronald Carter: director; Ralph Disylvestro, Albert Strong, Chris Davis, John Moore, Max Kiesner: trumpet; Greg Ward, Mai Sugimoto, Robert Collazo, Donnie Norton, Nate Heffron: reeds; David Stamps, Andy Strode, Brett Marcum, Matt Taylor: trombone; Sean Higgins: piano; Nick Fryer: guitar; Josh Ramos: bass; Iajhi Hampden, Phil Beale: drums; Catherine Moody: vocals.
Swingin' Our Way Through Europe
Tracks: Exactly Like You; Ahunk Ahunk; Weather, You Needn't; Lyric for a Jazzman; C Jam Blues; Squatty Roo; Can You Feel the Rush?; Me 'n Hog; Straight, No Chaser; Dangerous Curves.
Personnel: Dr. Lou Fischer: director; Zack Rawlings, Jason Ferrell, Max Roach, Jason Han, Josh Thomas, Kevin Bourassa: trumpet; Billy Wolfe: alto, soprano sax; Steve Morphy: alto sax; Tom Davis, Michael Remy: tenor sax; Rachel Kelly: baritone sax; Jared Slingerland, Joel Senkar, Tony Dean: trombone; Claire Haas: bass trombone; Kirk Schoenherr: guitar; Sean Ferguson: piano; Robin Cain: bass; Chris Guthrie: drums; Sam Werk: percussion; Rachel Sepulveda: vocals.
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