Jazz Big Band Recommendations?

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.

Nighthawk,

Although hardly unknown, I have to put my 2-cents in for The Buddy Rich Big Band (its many permutations of personel, notwithstanding). They left us with a wealth of material that is seeing daylight on CDs.

I could type away with the many titles but I recommend, if you haven't heard it already, "The Best Of Buddy Rich - The Pacific Years" (CDP72438 5 7568-2 5).

Among all the great tracks, track 8 has the "Channel 1 Suite" a tour-de-force of playing with perhaps the most virtuosic tenor sax solo by Don Menza, in the 2nd movement. This track, I believe, was originally from the album "Buddy Rich At Cesar's Palace"

The Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin are also among my favorites. Although, the raw energy and supernatural drumming of Buddy Rich always leave me speechless (even though, ok, I'll say it, Mr. Rich does tend to hog the action sometimes.) But man, what a hog!

I know it's not exactly what you are looking for but, I have been playing the crap out of a new disk by Geoff Muldaur. It's called "Private Astronomy, A vision of the music of Bix Beiderbecke". Really, really great arrangements of Bix tunes (some of which were never recorded). Check it out it's a good one.