Up from the Skies - Music of Jim McNeely
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
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| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Up from the Skies | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 8:54 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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2 |
The Life of Riley | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 8:28 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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3 |
In This Moment | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 9:13 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
4 |
Don't Even Ask | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 9:48 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
|
5 |
Suite - One Question, 3 Answers: Almost Always | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 8:01 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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6 |
Suite - One Question, 3 Answers: Hardly Ever | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 8:18 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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7 |
Suite - One Question, 3 Answers: You Tell Me | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 7:34 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
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8 |
We Will Not Be Silenced | The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | 8:37 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| Total: 8 Songs |
Album Review
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra continues the tradition of excellence that was the core ingredient when it began life as the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra during the 1960s. Now led by pianist/conductor/composer/arranger Jim McNeely, the band brings life to his stimulating charts with tight ensembles and strong solos throughout the session. The first track is a bit of a surprise, a breezy jazz setting of rocker Jimi Hendrix's "Up from the Skies" that is a good bit more harmonically adventurous than the original record. The pianist's unusual blues "Life of Riley" showcases drummer John Riley and trombonist Luis Bonilla in a post-bop theme that constantly shifts into a new direction. His haunting ballad "In This Moment" has a melancholy air, with McNeely opening the work alone before giving way to Scott Wendholt's subdued but powerful flugelhorn. McNeely's three-part suite "One Question, Three Answers" features three tantalizing movements, with each one showcasing a pair of soloists. "Don't Even Ask" is a fluid post-bop vehicle featuring alto saxophonist Billy Drewes (one of Manhattan's first-call reedmen), McNeely and bassist Dennis Irwin, the latter in one of his last recordings with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra before losing his fight with cancer in early 2008.
