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I Persuade You |
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| Jazz
musicians are used to
high wire acts. They
engage in such
activities each time
they improvise. Theirs
is a three-dimensional
world that
simultaneously delves
into the past,
responds to the
present moment, and
peers into the future.
The Vanguard Jazz
Orchestra (VJO) has
been walking on that
high wire since 1966
when it began as the
Thad Jones-Mel Lewis
Orchestra. They are
continuing the arduous
task of keeping their
balance while moving
forward, all the while
resisting the
temptation of
stopping, possibly
losing their balance,
and falling into the
nostalgia-lined abyss
known as the repertory
orchestra or
"Ghost
Band." TODD
COOLMAN |
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Will
Smith - Downbeat Magazine (4 1/2
stars) - "The
qualities that make a jazz orchestra
recording memorable-power, passion,
precision and the ability to shift
instantaneously from a shout to a
whisper-are in abundance on this
recording..."
Ross Gentile –
WSIE, St Louis - This
recording is magnificent. I played
Just Friends and the phones went
crazy.
Don Heckman – LA
Times - In
many respects, this outfit defines the
creative productivity that can flow
from an essentially tenured repertory
band.
Dave Nathan – All
About Jazz.com
- …Big
band concertizing in its highest
artistic form.
David Franklin –
Cadence Magazine - If
anyone needs an example of how viable
mainstream big bands still can be, the
VJO provides one.
Gene Santoro – New
York Daliy News - The
orchestra is an incredibly nimble
machine that can accelerate from a
whisper to a swaggering 120-mph roar
with the agility of a 12-cylinder
Jaguar.
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