Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Walt Disney Concert Hall

Dianne Reaves, Jon Wikan, Ingrid Jensen, Hugo Alcazar, Maria Schneider and Steve Wilson.

Posted: Thurs., Feb. 9, 2006, 3:52pm PT

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn.

Band: Steve Wilson, Charles Pillow, Rich Perry, Donny McCaslin, Scott Robinson, Tony Kadleck, Greg Gisbert, Jon Owens, Ingrid Jensen, Keith O'Quinn, Rock Ciccarone, Larry Farrell, George Flynn, Ben Monder, Frank Kimbrough, Jay Anderson, Clarence Penn, Jon Wikan, Hugo Alcazar. Conductor: Maria Schneider. Reviewed Feb. 8, 2006.

By RICHARD S. GINELL

Playing in a large Los Angeles concert hall for the first time Wednesday night, the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra gave us a startlingly different yet wonderful vision of what a big band can sound like.
In fact, there were a couple of passages that rose to the spine-chilling level of sublime -- and when was the last time that happened at a big band concert?

A small-town Minnesota native, as she enthusiastically pointed out several times, Schneider became a protegee of Gil Evans (quite a role model) toward the end of his life. Since then, she has established a solid foothold in the New York jazz scene as a progressive big-band leader, even breaking some ground last year when her "Concert in the Garden" CD became the first Internet-only-distributed album to win a Grammy (available through Mariaschneider.com). There are still trace elements of Evans in Schneider's harmonic writing, yet she has evolved far beyond his influence -- finding new combinations of color within big-band conventions, daring to give the hoary old accordion a distinctive lead voice, using the piano, electric guitar and drum kit in a painter-like fashion and leading her band with graceful swimming motions.

There are overt displays of autobiography in Schneider's work, distinct storylines, moments when the pulse disappears and the mood is everything. Indeed, Schneider's band has more of a kinship with Europe's adventurous big bands than it does with her mostly tradition-shackled American colleagues.

The opening number, the title track from "Concert in the Garden," set the table gorgeously, with gong-like use of cymbals, a high note on the accordion resembling the whine of bowed crotales, clusters from the piano and a samba groove gently propelling the piece on its way.

The evening's other revelation was "The Pretty Road," which Schneider described at length as a love song to her hometown of Windom, Minn. It's a narrative tone poem, opening with plain, sturdy Midwestern harmonies, building in volume and drive until it dissolves in a tranquil, idyllic, touching vision of a small town as seen from high on a hill.

"Aires de Lando," a commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, explored South American cross-rhythms in a laid-back, tango-like groove, and "Hang Gliding" was a graphic play-by-play of the thrills and terror of a hang gliding episode Schneider experienced in Brazil.

Big-band concerts usually strive to leave you breathless and super-charged. This one made you feel contemplative, absorbed, emotionally moved. Just like Gil.

Read the full article at:

http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117929548&c=34

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With Maria Schneider Orchestra will perform in Seattle

© jazz news
With Maria Schneider Orchestra will perform in Seattle

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle presents for two nights only(February 6 - 7) composer/conductor Maria Schneider and her 19-piece Jazz Orchestra.

Band members include: Steve Wilson (alto/soprano/clarinet/flute/alto flute/oboe/Englishhorn), Charles Pillow (alto/soprano/clarinet/flute/alto flute/oboe/English horn), RichPerry (tenor/flute), Donny McCaslin (tenor/soprano/clarinet/flute), Scott Robinson(baritone/flute/clarinet/bass clarinet), Tony Kadleck (trumpet/flugelhorn), Greg Gisbert(trumpet/flugelhorn), Jon Owens (trumpet/flugelhorn), Ingrid Jensen(trumpet/flugelhorn), Keith O-Quinn (trombone), Rock Ciccarone (trombone), LarryFarrell (trombone), George Flynn (bass trombone), Ben Monder (guitar), FrankKimbrough (piano), Jay Anderson (bass), Clarence Penn (drums), Jon Wikan (cajon),and Hugo Alcazar (cajon).

The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra came into being in 1993, appearing at Visiones inGreenwich Village every Monday night for a stretch of five years. Subsequently, herorchestra received invitations to perform at many jazz festivals and concert halls acrossEurope as well as in Brazil and Macau. She's received numerous commissions and invitesfor guest conducting her music with American and European orchestras. Countries withgroups that she's guest conducted include Italy, Portugal, France, Sweden, Denmark,Norway, Finland, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Canada, Scotland,Australia, Greenland and Iceland, as well as across the U.S. Commissions include theNorrbotten Big Band's and Danish Radio Orchestra's commission to arrange and conductconcerts with Toots Thielemans. She arranged a concert of Ivan Lins' music for IvanLins, Toots Thielemans and the Danish Radio Orchestra for an extensive European tourin 2003. Spring of 2004, she and her orchestra gave a series of four concerts at HunterCollege.

Maria's debut recording Evanescence, was nominated for two 1995 Grammy Awards:Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance, and for its title piece, Best InstrumentalComposition. Her second and third recordings Coming About and Allgresse were alsoboth nominated for Grammy Awards as well. Maria has received two Jazz JournalistAwards for Best Composer, two for Best Arranger and one for Best Big Band. Maria haswon many of the DOWNBEAT and JAZZTIMES Critics and Readers Polls. Her third album,Allgresse was chosen by both TIME and BILLBOARD in their “Top Ten recordings of2000”, which was inclusive of all genres of music. Most recently Concert in the Gardenreceived a Grammy Award (2005), and is the first recording to receive the awardwithout being distributed in record stores.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pictures, cortesy by Hugo Alcazar

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