Terry Vosbein
Knoxville Jazz Orchestra
Progressive Jazz 2009
“Progressive Jazz in the best sense of the word: advanced, forward-moving and enlightening but in no way pretentious or self-absorbed,” according to reviewer Jack Bowers at All About Jazz. The Knoxville Jazz Orchestra is “remarkably accomplished, and takes to these demanding charts like ducks to water.”
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"A masterful and emotionally rewarding tribute," says Owen Cordle at Newsobserver.com.
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“An impressive musical feast,” according to reviewer Joe Lang in the December issue of Jersey Jazz.
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TRACKS
Click title for audio sample
- Artistry in Gillespie (Pete Rugolo, 1948)
- Afternoon of a Faun (Claude Debussy, arr. by Pete Rugolo, 1946)
- Cuban Pastorale (Bob Graettinger, 1948)
- Crows In Tuxedos (Terry Vosbein, 2008)
- Walkin’ by the River (Una Mae Carlisle & Robert Sour, arr. by Bob Graettinger, 1948)
- Rhythms at Work (Pete Rugolo, 1948)
- Don’t Blame Me (Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields, arr. by Pete Rugolo, 1948)
- Jumping Monkey (Terry Vosbein, 2008)
- Johanna (Stephen Sondheim, arr. by Terry Vosbein, 2008)
- Hambeth (Pete Rugolo, 1948)
- Ahora es el Tiempo (Terry Vosbein, 2008)
- Odin’s Dream (Terry Vosbein, 2008)
- The Real Princess (Terry Vosbein, 2008)
PERSONNEL
Knoxville Jazz Orchestra
Terry Vosbein, guest conductor
Doug Rinaldo, David King - alto sax/flute
Alan Wyatt, Will Boyd - tenor sax
Tom Johnson - bari sax
Stewart Cox, Michael Spirko, Tom Fox, Rich Willey, Vance Thompson - trumpet
Tom Lundberg, Don Hough, Nate Malone, Bill Huber - trombone
Brad McDougall - bass trombone
Bill Swann - piano; Rusty Holloway - bass; Keith Brown - drums
Mark Boling - guitar; David Knight - bongos
Excerpt from 16-page CD booklet
Of the seven selections from the Stan Kenton library on this disc, none have been commercially recorded until now. Only one has ever surfaced on an unofficial recording of an air check. All or most are unknown to even diehard Kenton fans. I discovered the scores in the Stan Kenton Archives at the University of North Texas. Kenton bequeathed his entire library of scores and parts to the music program at North Texas and in late 2007 I spent three months going through the entire collection, item by item, documenting everything. This disc contains a small sampling of unknown Progressive Jazz gems that I uncovered.
Sixty years after Kenton’s explorations in Progressive Jazz, and shortly after completing my research in the archives, I lived and composed big band music in Europe. I split my time between Ile Saint Louis in Paris and the island of Christianshavn in Copenhagen. And I wrote almost non-stop.
With this innovative Kenton music bubbling in my veins, I set out to create a library of original material. I retained the original instrumentation of 5 saxes, 5 trumpets, 5 trombones, and a 5-piece rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass, drums and bongos. And I let my imagination flow freely. The library continues to grow. The music on this disc is a small taste.
I am happy to be able to make these historic Stan Kenton discoveries available alongside my brand new creations. My special thanks to the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra for making this music come alive. Without performers the music remains black dots on white paper.
I hope you enjoy the results.
— Terry Vosbein
Lexington, Virginia