I’m very interested in dismantling the wall between classical and jazz (whatever those two words mean) and helping conservatories (whatever they are) and their students, and symphony bureaucrats and their audiences, to understand that it’s unnecessary to place one form above another, to valorize composition over improvisation, or (dare I say) prefer pale skin to other shades, or men before women, or any of the other arbitrary prejudices.
To prove (as if it needed proving) that jazz (choose your own definition) is perfectly suited to performance on a large scale, I present an informal list of orchestral jazz, by which I mean music that has a pulse (ha!) and uses some jazz-like vernacular (ha! again, since that’s a tree that could become molecules and then subatomic waves if you look closely enough at the bark) and that may sometimes engender improvisation and that is expressed through strings and winds by— say, arbitrarily— twelve or more musicians.
So, in no order whatsoever, here is an incomplete list of titles and links (all of which lead to YouTube) that might fit the description…
“A Tone Parallel to Harlem"; Released: 2001; Composer: Duke Ellington; Arranger: Luther Henderson; Conductor: Neeme Järvi; Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Trumpet: Walter White; Trumpet: William Lucas
“Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk (Criss Cross) : Variant III”; Released: 1961; Arranger, Conductor: Gunther Schuller; Alto Saxophone: Ornette Coleman; Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute: Eric Dolphy; Flute: Robert DiDomenica; Piano: Bill Evans; Vibraphone: Eddie Costa; Violin: Charles Libove; Violin: Roland Vamos; Viola: Harry Zaratzian; Cello: Joseph Tekula; Bass: George Duvivier; Bass: Scott LaFaro; Drums: Sticks Evans
“Radiation”; Released: 2014; Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Composer, Arranger: Trish Clowes; Conductor: André de Ridder; Double Bass: Calum Gourlay; Drums: James Maddren; Electric Guitar: Chris Montague; Piano: Gwilym Simcock; Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra
“Catch Me If You Can, Escapades: II. Reflections”; Released: 2009; Composer: John Williams; Conductor: Grant Llewellyn; Alto Saxophone: Branford Marsalis; Bass: Eric Revis; Orchestra: North Carolina Symphony; Vibraphone: Richard Motylinksi
“Heart Shadow”; Released: 1999; Conductor: Vince Mendoza; Composer: Jim McNeely; Orchestra: Metropole Orkest
Click here for part 2 of this post.