A Discography: Exploring the Jazz Orchestra’s Wilds and Wonders
Kevin Lynch
Posted On June 18, 2015
With “Birth of the Cool” in 1948, Miles Davis introduced most listeners to the arranging talent of Gil Evans who has become more influential than ever today. allmusic.com
During research for my jazz orchestra article, I put together this discography, which attempts to trace the recorded development of modern jazz orchestra in roughly chronological order. It begins at the transition point from bebop, represented by Dizzy Gillespie, who often thought of the bop combo concept in larger terms.
The key breakthrough is Birth of the Cool, the 1948 album by Miles Davis which introduced most listeners to the arranging talents of Gil Evans, though Stan Kenton more widely turned a new college generation onto the jazz orchestra’s excitement and possibilities.But Evans had an important developing ground. One can hope that, in the future, appreciable CD recordings emerge by The Claude Thornhill’s orchestra from the 1940s-50s. Evans began his ambitious and fast-forming apprenticeship with the Thornhill orchestra.
Those early recordings, not listed here, are contemporary to some of the rough-cut gems of brilliance that Ryan Truesdell has uncovered and polished up for the Gil Evans Project. The reassertion of Evans’ centrality is one of the most significant developments in what may be a new golden age of jazz orchestra. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoU1drxfdYM
Here’s a selected discography of the modern jazz orchestra (roughly in chronological order,from firstr notable recording. Susequent recordings by the same group may be many years later, eg. Charlie Haden’s first Liberation Music Orchestra is 1969 and the third, Not In Our Name, is 2006, during The Iraq War):
Live at Newport Dizzy Gillespie (with Mary Lou Williams performing from her “Zodiac Suite.”)
The Complete Birth of the Cool Miles Davis with Gil Evans
Live at Newport, His Mother Called Him Bill, Far East Suite and Digital Duke Duke Ellington Orchestra
Space is the Place, Live at Montreux Sun Ra Myth-Science Arkestra
allmusic.com
Sketches of Spain, Porgy and Bess, Miles Ahead and Miles Davis/ Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings (all with Miles Davis),The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions, Out of the Cool and The Individualism of Gil Evans Gil Evans Orchestra
The Magic Touch Tadd Dameron and his Orchestra
allmusic.com
West Side Story and Adventures in Jazz Stan Kenton Orchestra
Africa/Brass and Ascension John Coltrane
Thelonious Monk Big Band and Quartet in Concert Thelonious Monk with Oliver Nelson
allmusic.com
A Long Time Comin’ The Electric Flag
Big Swing Face, Mercy Mercy and Live at Buddy’s Place ‘76 The Buddy Rich Big Band
Electric Bath Don Ellis Orchestra
Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Dreamkeeper, and Not in Our Name Liberation Music Orchestra
Consummation and Live at The Village Vanguard Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra
Brand New (with Michael Bloomfield), and Giant Steps Woody Herman
Blood, Sweat and Tears Blood, Sweat and Tears
The Resurrection Of Pig Boy Crabshaw and In My Own Dream Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago II Chicago
Walking in Space and Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux Quincy Jones
Escalator Over the Hill Carla Bley Orchestra
Back to Oakland Tower of Power
Let My Children Hear Music Charles Mingus
Creative Music Orchestra 1976 and Creative Orchestra 1978 (Koln) Anthony Braxton
Mingus Big Band 93: Nostalgia in Times Square and Live in Tokyo at the Blue Note Mingus Big Band
eil.com
Tales of a Courtesan, Insights and Carnegie Hall Concert Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band/Orchestra
In Case You Missed It Charli Persip Superband II
Fly with the Wind and Song for My Lady McCoy Tyner
Winged Serpents (Sliding Quadrants) Cecil Taylor Orchestra of Two Continents
David Murray Big Band conducted by Lawrence“Butch”Morris David Murray Big Band
Joe Henderson Big Band Joe Henderson Big Band
With All the Bells and Whistles and Live at Concerts by the Sea Bob Florence Big Band
1997: The new golden age begins?:
youtube.com
Blood on the Fields (Pulitzer Prize winner) and A Love Supreme Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
Monterey Moods Gerald Wilson Orchestra
Overtime Dave Holland Big Band
Time’s Mirror Tom Harrell
allmusic.com
Jazz Pana Vince Mendoza w/ Arif Mardin, Epiphany w/ London Symphony Orchestra, and Both Sides Now w/ Joni Mitchell
New Works Celebration and Music for String Quartet and Orchestra Bob Brookmeyer New Art Orchestra
Live at the Miramar Gary Christensen’s All-Star Superband
Habitat and Treelines Christine Jensen Orchestra
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Produced by Ryan Truesdell, “Sky Blue” by Maria Schneider was nominated for two 2008 Grammy Awards for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble” and “Best Instrumental Composition” (for ‘Cerulean Skies’). allmusic.com
Concert in the Garden, Sky Blue and The Thompson Fields Maria Schneider Orchestra
Centennial and Lines of Color:Live at the Jazz Standard Ryan Truesdell presents The Gil Evans Project
Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola Joe Chambers Moving Pictures Orchestra
Infernal Machines, and Brooklyn Babylon Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society
Revelator, Everybody’s Talkin’ (live) and Made-Up Mind Tedeschi-Trucks Band
Jazz is Politics? and Just Say Yes, Chicago Yestet
amazon.com
Identities are Changeable Miguel Zenon Quartet and “Identities” Big Band
Fly! Mitch Shiner and the Blooming Tones Big Band
The L.A. Treasures Project Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra
Quiet Pride: The Elizabeth Catlett Project Rufus Reid
Live: I Hear The Sound Archie Shepp Attica Blues Orchestra
The Offense Of The Drum Arturo O’Farrell & The Latin Jazz Orchestra
Overtime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Imaginary Cities Chris Potter Underground Orchestra
Inside Voices Kenosha Kid
East of the Sun ICP Orchestra
The Blessing, The Eternal Interlude and Songs We Like A Lot (to be released June 23) John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
