Album review: Horizons Jazz Orchestra - The Brite Side

I initially confused this band with the South Florida Jazz Orchestra which, given that both bands are based in South Florida and both have Mike Brignola in the sax section, may be excusable and, hopefully, exonerate me from the wrath of Mouthpiece Music's Holly Cooper!

Just as SFJO's album is dedicated to the music of Rick Margitza,  the HJO pay tribute to  Lee Harris.

The late Harris, composer/arranger/baritone saxist, sadly passed away before the project he instigated was completed but the music is a worthy tribute to his skills as both a composer and arranger.

The music is reminiscent, albeit updated, of the latter day bands of Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Stan Kenton.

Trumpet player Noday, an alumnus of the latter two bands, co-founded SUPERBAND with Harris and, after Harris' death combined with Michael Balogh to bring the project to fruition (Balogh had also been in on the ground floor). 

Championed by promoter Jeannette Piña, the band relaunched as the Horizons Jazz Orchestra and, with the addition of some hot shot soloists to augment the killers already in the band, the end result was this tremendous example of the big band music of today. It's adventurous but without losing the ability to swing the gate off your fence or to stop you dancing although it's far from being a dance band.

Check it out. I'm told it's available everywhere!

Lance.

Red Apple Sweet; Pure Imagination; After You've Gone, Finally; The Runner; Fourth Dimension; The Brite Suite; The Sound; Summertime; Maria; A Train Bossa.

Dennis Noday, Ryan Chapman, Jack Wengrosky, Fernando Ferrarone, Chaim Rubinov (trumpets); Michael Balogh (MD/Producer/trombone), Jason Pyle, Tom Lact, Steven Mayer (trombones); Scott Clayman, Mike Brignola, Billy Ross, Joe Mileti, Randy Emerick (reeds); Gary Mayone (keys); Ranses Colon (bass); Luke Williams (guitar); George Mazzeo (drums) + guest soloists: Jonathan Joseph (drums); Carl Saunders (flugelhorn); Billy Ross (tenor sax).