Knoxville Jazz Orchestra

A Year In The Life Of The Band

1. Angst

2. Man, What a Beautiful Day

3. Mean To Me

4. Skylark

5. Dig Uncle Will

6. Scenes of Knoxville

7. Martha Stewart Ain't Got Nothin on My Baby

8. Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

WOODWINDS

Mark Tucker - alto, soprano, flute

David King - alto, flute

Bill Scarlett - tenor, soprano, clarinet

Jimmy Mann - tenor, clarinet

Tom Johnson ≠ baritone, bass clarinet

TRUMPETS

Michael Wyatt

Jim Williamson

Stewart Cox

Thomas Heflin

Vance Thompson, Director

TROMBONES

Don Hough

Tom Lundberg

Darrell Wyatt

Brad McDougall

RHYTHM

Bill Swann, piano

Dan Trudell, Hammond B-3 (tracks 3, 5)

Donald Brown, piano (track 6)

Rusty Holloway, bass

Keith Brown, drums

REVIEW

I grew up with the big bands. Sitting late at night - back in the Forties - listening to remote pick-ups from ballrooms and dance halls around the country, I'd savor the sounds of all the great bands when they once reigned supreme in the music business. When Woody Herman came along with the First Herd was when my head began to spin. It has been spinning since. But now we are living in a time when the big band has almost become an extinct part of the jazz world. Since there aren't enough aficionados nor the economic means to support large bands in the times that we live, when something like the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra comes along, we have to stand up to try and preserve the efforts being brought forth by great musicians doing their best to keep this tradition alive and well

They say that the Big Bands are dead. Well, those fortunate enough to live in or around the Knoxville Tennessee area may beg to differ. There are nineteen local cats to which the K.J.O. call home. This CD recorded half in Europe, on a 2001 European Summer tour, and the rest recorded in their home state of Tennessee is reason enough for a pessimist like myself to keep the big band dream alive.

From the opening shouts of the brass section on the original line, penned by leader trumpeter Vance Thompson, Angst, we are off and running. The rhythm section propelled by drummer, Keith Brown, flows and builds foundations for the band soloists.

Keith has a flowing style that is not heavy handed yet drives all of these aggressive musicians on their way. There are nice solos by Bill Swain on piano and a Tenor sax solo by Jimmy Mann.

Man, What a Beautiful Day, also penned by the very talented Mr. Thompson has a nice spirited melody line that's picked up by a lilting soprano sax solo offered by Mark Tucker, followed by a flugelhorn solo by Vance Thompson.

The band shows its versatility credentials on interpreting charts of various genres. Mean To Me features the Hammond B-3 organist Dan Trudell and shows us another side of this orchestra's vast personality.

Skylark has always had a special place in music for me as probably one of the loveliest pieces ever created by Hoagy Carmichael. Here Vance Thompson illustrates his arranging skills as the band literally floats over these wonderful lines with elegance and charm.

The band gets funky and hangs onto it's own distinct personality on Jack McDuff's Dig Uncle Will. Dan Trudell on Hammond B-3 treats us to yet another swinging romp. The band is laid back and swinging and the reed section lines are articulate and complementary while the rhythm section cooks it slowly.

Pianist Donald Brown's- tone poem - original composition Scenes of Knoxville has a variety of mood changes throughout. Again, the arrangement by Vance Thompson is the glue that holds this enigmatic composition together. Pianist Donald Brown's solo literally floats under the orchestra. The composition, inspired by James Agee's poem "Scenes of Knoxville," is the orchestra's hallmark piece.

And now we come to my favorite piece on this wonderful CD, a blues romp that lets its hair down and swings unabashedly. You gotta love the title: Martha Stewart Ain't Got Nothin on My Baby. The band opens up all the stops and we are treated to an array of fine solos, particularly baritone saxophonist, Tom Johnson, trombonist Tom Lundberg and a strong acoustic bass solo by Rusty Holloway. The ending doesn't want to happen and it finally closes on a swinging and positive note.

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries shows us yet another side of this orchestra. With a tuba holding down the bottom in the intro, drummer Keith Brown sets down some riffs as the band dives head first into a semi tongue in cheek romp that's playful and fun and above all toe tapping.

I feel as if I temporarily lived with this band; listening and re listening to this CD. I have to say that I'm sold on them and feel deprived, since I live on the west side of this country, that I may never get to see them perform live. Make no mistake; the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is helping to keep the big band tradition in jazz alive. My hope is that in some small way I can help spread the news to the rest of us that yearn for the return of the big bands once again.

Hear a few samples from this CD

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