Jazz Big Band Recommendations?

Off the top of my head:

Mingus Big Band and Mingus Orchestra
Thad Jones and Mel Lewis
Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin
Gil Evans

Enjoy.

I tried one of the more recent Bill Holman albums that was well-reviewed, and was somewhat disappointed with the slightly aimless and generic-sounding feeling I got from both the tunes and the arrangements. Maybe the fact that the band was playing with an orchestra lent the project a stilted quality, but it just didn't swing, which is still essential IMO. Sorry that won't help much...

Last month they had a free 'big bad daddy voodo' presentation on Direct tv. I thought they were pretty hot---and I'm an old fart;whom remembers Glen Grey, TD, BG, Miller, and has a lot of that genera's music. They just do the 'big-band' on a smaller scale.

Check out the Dave Holland Big Band and the Jaco Pastorus Big Band. Not new, but worth looking for: Gil Evans' Monday Orchestra Live at Sweet Basil Vol.1 or Vol.2.