Jazz Big Band Recommendations?

Maybe I missed it, but in all of these great suggestions nobody mentioned the Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band or CBBB as often referred by. This was a band several years ahead of their time and many of their recordings have been reissued in CD format. "Now Hear Our Meanin'", "Handle With Care", "Jazz is Universal". Mostly European players who matched their American counterparts.

Also check out the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Right on, Redwoodgarden! Preservation Hall is a must visit for any trip to New Orleans. I have several of their CDs, which although somewhat noisy, I find to be very well recorded from an imaging/soundstage perspective.

Great suggesion about Clayton/Hamilton. BTW, I just got in a DVD of the Mike Vax Big Band at Morningside College. Apparently, it's a recording they made at a jazz festival in 1995. I think it's a bunch of guys that used to play with Kenton. Haven't watch it yet.

And here's another one I pulled from the NPR jazz program. This groups been around for awhile. http://www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com/. They do some top flight stuff and they have a new release that you can purchase from their website.

I "third" the Dave Holland big band.

Hey Nighthawk,

I have a great jazz/big band recommendation for you! His name is Matt Dusk and he's a 24-year-old budding star from Canada. YOu might have caught him on FOX's "The Casino" this past week... he plays the hotel's lounge singer. Anyway if you didn't get a chance to see him on the show, you missed out! His voice is phenomenal... like a young Frank Sinatra! Check out his site at www.mattdusk.com and tell me waht you think. =)