Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Rodger Fox Big Band: Reimagined! The Roger Fox big B...

The Rodger Fox Big Band: Reimagined! The Roger Fox big Band Plays Sir Dave Dobbyn

By Jack Bowers
June 15, 2022
View read count

The Rodger Fox Big Band: Reimagined! The Roger Fox big Band Plays Sir Dave Dobbyn

On Reimagined!, New Zealander

Rodger Fox

trombone
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Rodger Fox's superlative big band takes a fresh look at the music of Sir Dave Dobbyn, one of that country's most honored and beloved musicians. Although Dobbyn has spent his celebrated career in the fields of pop and rock, his evocative compositions lend themselves well to light and swinging interpretations by Fox's seventeen-member ensemble and more than half a dozen well-known guest artists from the U.S.

Even so, there is enough heavy backbeat on most numbers to betray their non-jazz origin, and those rhythms are deftly managed by the band's resident timekeeper,

Lance Philip

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Lance Philip, or guest drummer

Gregg Bissonette

drums
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Gregg Bissonette (on four numbers). Speaking of guests,

Wayne Bergeron

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Bergeron's peerless lead trumpet enhances "A Bridge on Fire" and "Walking in Light," while trombonist

Francisco Torres

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Francisco Torres—who arranged "Magic (What She Do)"—and guitarist

Larry Koonse

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Koonse solo on "Welcome Home," guitarist

Josh Smith

guitar
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Josh Smith on "Love You Like I Should," bass trombonist

Bill Reichenbach

drums
1923 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Reichenbach on "Bridge," tenor saxophonist

Bob Sheppard

saxophone, tenor
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Sheppard on "Outlook for Thursday." Fox, a superb trombonist in his own right, is showcased (muted) on "Walking in Light" and solos with tenor

Oscar Laven

saxophone, tenor

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Deane Hunter and pianist

Anita Schwabe

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Anita Schwabe who have all those bases well-covered.

Listening to Reimagined! is akin to hearing Beatles songs performed by other groups, wherein some aficionados who were never fans of the Beatles may recognize that the music itself isn't really that bad—in fact, much of it, once the Beatles have been removed from the equation, is quite pleasing. The same holds true for Dobbyn's music, which is laudable on its own terms but even more so when enlivened by the high-powered RFBB.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Bliss; Love You Like I Should; Be Mine Tonight; A Bridge on Fire; Magic (What She Do); Loyal; Walking in Light; Just Add Water; Welcome Home; Outlook for Thursday; Slice of Heaven.

drums

Additional Instrumentation

Wayne Bergeron: trumpet; Larry Koonse, Josh Smith: guitar; Bob Sheppard: tenor sax; Francisco Torres: trombone; Bill Reichenbach: bass trombone.

Album information

Title: Reimagined! The Roger Fox big Band Plays Sir Dave Dobbyn | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: T-Bones Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Hemligheter p? v?gen
< Previous

Charles Mingus, Luke Stewart-Jarvis ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.