Top Big Band Albums

	Count Basie/Complete Decca Recordings Basie really had two different approaches to the big band, both equally exciting. This group of 1930s recordings emphasize Basie's cadre of unique solo voices: Herschel Evans, Lester Young, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Buck Clayton, and vocalists Jimmy Rushing and Helen Humes. In terms of swinging, 4/4 straightahead big band, this is as good as it gets...
	Count Basie/The Complete Atomic Count Basie ...Unless, of course, you look at the "new" Basie band of the 1950's and beyond, where the arranger was king and the soloists, though often fine, were replaceable. This band features more modern and complex arrangements and a hard driving rhythm section that would be the standard for modern big outfits. This outing features the compositions and arrangements of Neal Hefti and some great tenor work from Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis.
	Duke Ellington/Masterpieces: 1926-1949 Wonderful 4-disc set from England's Proper label captures everything about Ellington's most innovative and creative periods. There's some excellent 1930s material here that is missing from most compilations, and then you've got the majesty of the '40s Blanton/Webster band, which is considered by most to be the peak of Ellington's recording career. Of course, you could also get the 3-disc Highlights from the Centennial Edition (not to mention the 24-disc Centennial Edition itself, assuming you have unlimited financial resources and time).
	Artie Shaw/Self Portrait Benny Goodman is often thought to be the great clarinetist/bandleader, but Shaw had him beat at both tasks. He was a virtuoso on his instrument, but he really excelled at bandleading, pushing the swing style he cut his teeth on into new and innovative areas. Not everything in this 5-disc set is big band material, but most of it is. It's simply amazing to hear the places that Shaw was able to go even back in the '30s and '40s, though people never got tired of hearing "Begin the Beguine" either.
	Gil Evans/Out of the Cool A followup to Evans's work with Miles Davis, this is a top-notch session that withstands the test of time rather well. It also features his spare piano work, which is not often heard. From the opening original "La Nevada" to Kurt Weill's "Bilbao Song", through the Lydian complexities of George Russell's "Stratusphunk" and the down-home roots of Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie" this is big band music brought convincingly into the modern era.
	Carla Bley/Big Band Theory Bley has a great way with composition, her arrangements are never dull, and the group of players assembled are terrific. Lew Soloff, Gary Valente, and Andy Sheppard all contribute to this tour de force big band performance. Three Bley originals are featured plus a great arrangement of Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat."
	Thad Jones & Mel Lewis/Consummation This absolute classic album was just remastered by Blue Note in 2002, and it sounds great. This was the big band of the 1970s (they were around much before that, but were really carrying the torch in the '70s), with powerhouse talent like Mrvin Stamm, Snooky Young, Jimmy Knepper, Jerome Richardson, Roland Hanna, Richard Davis, and Pepper Adams on board. Jones was at his writing and arranging peak as well, and churned out wonderful stuff like "Dedication", "Tiptoe", "A Child Is Born", "Us", and "Consummation." You've gotta have this one.
	Charles Mingus/Black Saint and the Sinner Lady This was recorded with an eleven piece group, which some may not consider a big band, but Mingus could make eleven pieces sound like twenty. This is his best extended work, and it rivals Ellington both in ambitiousness and success. Other great Mingus work with a fairly large ensemble includes Tijuana Moods and Let My Children Hear Music. The Mingus Big Band, which truly is a big band ensemble, is doing a great job of keeping the Mingus legacy alive and providing newly scored large scale versions of his best work. Check out their 2002 release Tonight At Noon.
	Benny Goodman/Sing Sing Sing You've got to give Goodman his props, even if he did help commercialize swing music in a big way. But the arrangements were spectacular and that band! Gene Krupa, Harry James, Ziggy Elman, Vido Musso, plus vocalists Jimmy Rushing and Helen Ward. This is a great single disc collection of Goodman's big band work.
	Buddy Rich/Mercy Mercy There are lots of great Rich albums out there, but this one really grabs me. Recorded at Caesars Palace in 1968 (hence the groovy psychedelic cover) it shows Buddy revitalizing the big band format through sheer force of will. The band is tight, and Buddy is explosive (as always), driving them harder and harder with his unparalleled drumming. You've got musicians like Don Menza and Pepper Adams, great arrangements, and a mix of big band jazz ("Channel One Suite", "Mr. Lucky", "Chelsea Bridge") and pop-oriented material ("Mercy Mercy Mercy", "Ode to Billy Joe", "Acid Truth"). It just doesn't get much better than this.
	Stan Kenton/Cuban Fire Kenton can be an acquired taste, but this 1956 release incorporates the group's trademark modern harmonies with the intensity of Latin rhythms. Not one to do things in a small way, Kenton incorporated no less than five percussionists on this session, as well as an all-star band that includes Carl Fontana, Lennie Niehaus, and Lucky Thompson. Very hot!
	Woody Herman/Thundering Herd Yeah, I know--Herman had recorded tremendous big band stuff in the '40s, 50s and 60s, and this 1970s recording might not be considered great by those who grew up listening to Herman's Herds. But believe me, this is a spectacular big band workout, with versions of two Coltrane tunes ("Naima" and "Lazy Bird"), and a knockout arrangement of Frank Zappa's "America Drinks and Goes Home." Throw in "Blues for Poland", "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" and "Corazon", and you've really got something.
	Toshiko Akiyoshi/Long Yellow Road Akiyoshi and her husband Lew Tabackin (who is quite underated as a player) almost singehandedly revived the big band format without doing arrangements of pop tunes, relying mostly on Toshiko's compositions. The music can be as delicate as fine lace one moment, then swinging majorly the next. A classic from a great and talented bandleader and composer.
	Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra/Allegresse Schneider is a protege of the late Gil Evans, and certainly one of the leading bandleaders around today. You really cannot go wrong with her recordings, and this 2000 release is as good a place as any to start. She manages to acheive great warmth and beauty of sound without sacrificing complexity and harmonic interest. Anyone who likes big band music would do well to keep an ear on Maria's future projects.