On a
cool fall Monday night, I capped off the day by hearing modern big band sounds
from the Toronto Composers Collective Big Band, headed by trombonist and
bandleader Christian Overton.
The
band is comprised of young jazz musicians who play compositions written by
themselves or members of the local jazz community, showcasing a wealth of
talent and body of work that is worthy of mass exposure. Through playing their original compositions
and arrangements, it brings a fresh new perspective to the big band sound,
paralleled by bands headed by Jim McNeely, Gil Evans, Thad Jones and Rob
McConnell.
Among
the highlights of the band’s performance was a brief but exhilarating swinging
opener called “Four More To Go” by local saxophonist Allison Au (featuring Paul
Metcalfe on tenor sax), the breathtaking, lilting dance of Shrinatha Beddage’s
“Danushka’s Dance” with an exhillarating solo by Marcus Ali on soprano sax as
well as Todd Pentney on piano, and the multi-faceted composition by Christian
Overton called Green Black and Brown which shifts from Latin, jungle music, and
right into contemporary rock alongside a bluesy guitar solo by Eric Patterson.
The
band was later joined by vocalist Maya Killtron to close off the set with
arrangements of popular hits. Among the
highlights is the timeless take on the Billy Strayhorn classic “Lush Life and a
rousing take on Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope”, bringing a sense of high energy
and funk into the big band mix.
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