Big Band Record

This has long been one of my favorite albums. Ray Anderson composes and plays with wit and wildness. Talk about exciting, refreshing, intense, swinging listening! Nothing stale here. Everyone is going for broke all the time, virtuoso jazz players with the stops pulled out. I had heard of Anderson and Gruntz separately, but when I got this album, I thought for sure this would have to be the greatest of collaborations, and as I picked up other albums by both (which I recommend--let the taste be a feast!) I kept wanting more and more. I hate to say it, but Anderson's playing (and he's not alone--every other band member, right down to the bass trombonist, is there with him, swinging hard)and Gruntz's writing make even the best bands from LA seem a little too much like the lawn Anderson sings about in "Don't Mow Your Lawn." That lawn, that's a little too fresh, a little too green, a little too perfect, a little too clean--is almost every other band out there, no matter how proficient. Anderson and Gruntz have fashioned an album full of merriment and unexpected sounds. "Seven Monsters" is in at least two time signatures at once. Try counting it! Music not only for musicians, but for anyone who wants to experience the joy and intensity of great jazz. If you like this, you'll want to check out other albums by both of them.

This album is amazing!It is a combination of great arranging, great horn sections, a great rhythm section and virtuoso solo work. It is great to hear the big band arrangements of songs that were previously recorded or performed in smaller groups. A great example of this is "Literary Lizard." The song is on the "What Because" album (It is titled "Alligatory Crocodile")in which it is arranged for Trombone, Guitar, Bass, Drums.Overall, I highly recommend this CD to anyone who wants to hear new and innovative jazz. This is not your grandfather's standard collection of big band charts. It contains pieces in many different styles including jazz march, calypso, straight ahead and others.

Mr. Anderson currently teaches at Stony Brook University on Long Island, and I have had the opportunity to perform in his jazz ensemble for the past two years. I am still amazed by what a fantastic musician he is, as well as what a wonderful person he truly is. Ray's music is one of a kind, and his albums are so much fun to listen to! I wish he would sing for us at the university, but he's put that behind him. Even still, if you have the chance to hear him live, don't miss it!