Jazz Big Band Recommendations?

Some of this stuff may not fit everyones idea of what a big band is, but if there's more than 8 players and some jazz influences are apparent, it works for me. Anyway here are a few i'm hanging onto:

Maarten Altena/Quotl
Ken Schaphorst Big Band/Purple
Either Orchestra/Radium, More Beautiful Than Death
Vanguard Jazz Orch./Music of Jim McNeely
Octurn/Dimensions
George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band/First Prize
Patrick Zimmereli/Octurn
Orange Then Blue/Hold the Elevator
Gil Evans Orch./Tribute to Gil (the Hendrix ones are fun too)
The Now Orchestra/WOWOW
The New York Composers Orch.(all)
Orkest de Volharding/Trajekten
Circulasione Totale Orch./Accent
Pierre Favre/European Chamber Ensemble
Anthony Davis/Episteme, Undine
Edward Vesala/Nordic Gallery
Orchestre National de Jazz/Charmmediterraneen
Paul Termos/Death Dance of Principles
Frank Zappa/Grand Wazoo
Per Henrik Wallin/Tiveden
Norbert Stein Pata Orch./Die wilden Pferde der armen Leute
Magali Souriau Orch./Birdland Sessions
Ardvark Orch./Steps Out
Clubfoot Orch./Metropolis (all are good)
Rene Rosnes/ and the Radio Danish Big Band
Umo Jazz Orch/Transit People
Absolute Ensemble/Absolution
Neufeld Occhipinti Jazz Orch./NOJO

The Bob Florence Limited Edition is one of the best big bands going. Several CDs are on the MAMA label. Bob has done most of the composing and arranging on these albums. Stan Kenton recordings remain very good examples the best in big band jazz performances. Enjoy!

Don't leave out Maynard Ferguson's big band stuff, guys. Its not as old as some nor as new as others, but his bands always kick hard. And old or not, no one swung harder than Basie's bands.

Ray Anderson big band record on Gramavision, it's out of print but still easy to find, and remember "don't mow your lawn".also the Italian Instable Orchestra.

Lots of good suggestions above, so let me throw out a few more that are in a bit different bag. I'm a BIG fan of tenor saxist David Murray, and he has done several terrific albums with his big band and also a sextet. His stuff is a bit "outside", and will stretch your ears a bit, but it's great music.

Willem Brueker Kollectif, a Dutch big band, is lots of fun. Their stuff is also a bit "outside", but they also swing like hell. Not to everyone's taste, but if you are an adventurous listener then you should definitely give them a listen.

The Buddy Rich Big Band had some excellent recordings, and one of my favorites is titled "Buddy Rich Big Band 'Live' WHAM!" and issued on CD by a small company called Label M (CD #495717). The solos are on this release are outstanding, and the guys all blow their asses off in these live sessions.

You might also enjoy the few recordings that Dizzy Gillespie did with various incarnations of his big bands, starting in the late 1940's. Some years ago, when I was teaching a course in jazz appreciation, I showed a videotape in class that featured the Dizzy Gillespie Dream Band in concert at the Lincoln Center in New York (early 1980's). I think this band did at least one commercial release, and maybe several. It's worth searching for their recordings.

During the mid-to-late 1950's, there were some excellent "West Coast" bands working in LA. The bands, such as the one led by Shorty Rogers, featured some of the greatest jazz musicians active on the west coast scene (such as Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Shelly Manne, Conte Candoli, Russ Freeman, Gerry Mulligan, Curtis Counce, etc.), and ranged from "cool" to relatively "hot". The west coast scene had a bit different sound and texture than the east coast bands of the time, with a somewhat lighter texture and swing. I have a fair amount of west coast stuff in my collection, and always enjoy hearing it again. (If you haven't listened to Art Pepper's recording called "Art Pepper + Eleven", you should add it to your collection.)

Carla Bley and her big band have done some of the most adventurous work in this genre, yet her big band work is not widely known beyond the circle of serious jazz fans. IMO, she deserves a much wider audience.

Another favorite of mine is the Sun Ra Arkestra. His work is among the most eclectic in the big band genre, but anyone who is serious about big band work needs to own at least several of Sun Ra's recordings.

"Black Dahlia", by the Bob Belden band, is an excellent big band album released several years ago. It received a LOT of critical jazz acclaim (Downbeat 5-star rating, and chosen as one of the jazz recordings of the year by several jazz publications). It's one of the recordings that I go back to repeatedly when I want something that not only has real content, but is also wonderfully atmospheric.

Hope some of these ideas stimulate your interest.