The Jack Cooper Jazz Orchestra: Mists

Planet Arts
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Mists

I’ve discussed many jazz composers over the years, but none had a birth date going back to 1874 ... that is, until this music from Charles Ives. His father was a famed bandmaster in Danbury, Connecticut, who was known for his “radical” performance ideas. Young Charles learned to play the piano and organ but, more importantly, became a masterful composer and arranger. 

Although he grew up to become a wealthy businessman — he owned and ran an insurance company — his musical compositions made him famous. He won two Pulitzer Prizes during his lifetime.

Jack Cooper, born almost a century later, is one of the many modern musician/composers who’ve been highly influenced by Ives (Bob Brookmeyer is another). This album is the result of a project that Cooper began, intending to meld Ives compositions, along with relatively advanced tonal and rhythmic phrasing, with the styling and “feel” of modern big band jazz orchestras. 

He has succeeded masterfully.

Eight Ives compositions are featured on this release. Most probably won’t be familiar to the average jazz fan; one exception might be “At the River,” a tune usually associated with the country and gospel genres. It’s amazing, however, how modern and “familiar” all these songs sound, relative to the music we’ve long heard performed by swinging big band groups. 

Not to mention how great the instrumental solo passages sound, as they’re laid atop the melodic passages.

Ives must’ve been a time traveler, and Cooper a like-minded soul who has broken the code for this realm. You’ll be amazed at the results.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra: Over Time — The Music of Bob Brookmeyer

Planet Arts Records
By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Over Time

Jazz fans who lived during the Big Band era know that Bob Brookmeyer was one of that period’s giants. His primary instrument was the valve trombone, but he also played piano and, most importantly, was a master composer and arranger. It simply isn’t possible to name a jazz great with whom he didn’t play, or a colleague who didn’t admire his talent, or a modern artist who doesn’t revere him.

Brookmeyer’s first horn was the clarinet, but he quickly turned to the piano. By the age of 14, he was writing arrangements for full orchestras, and making a living out of it! All that aside, he fell in love with the trombone: not the common slide instrument, but the version that used valves. The tone and “sound” he got out of that model were beyond compare. He blessed us with a lengthy career — born in 1929, died in 2011 — and he worked with literally hundreds of combos and bands. His discography ran from the 1950s to just a year before his death.

Brookmeyer was associated with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra for years, and this CD features his compositions and arrangements. The original 16-piece orchestra was formed in 1966 by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis; this album gathers 19 musicians.

The result is gorgeous. The set list features eight compositions, including a three-movement suite; although these arrangements don’t swing as much as some of Brookmeyer’s earlier music, it’s true modern jazz. His talents continued to grow and advance throughout his life, and this release is proof positive of his overall mastery and place in the jazz pantheon.