David Big Band Sanford - A Prayer For Lester Bowie [CD] (ONLINE ORDER ONLY)

Composer-arranger
and bandleader David Sanford has a
capacious musical mind, one attuned to multiple genres and the joy of their
aural collision. Keenly attuned not only to his rich African-American
inheritance but also to the widest range of culture, he has been influenced by
big-band classics and avant-jazz innovators as well as the sweep of the cinema,
the harmonic explorations of classical modernists, the artful aggression of
rock and the irresistible rhythms of funk. Recognized for his accomplishments
in concert halls, on jazz stages and as an educator, Sanford was recently
honored by the American Academy of Arts
& Letters for outstanding artistic achievement.

Sanford
convened top jazz and contemporary-music players from across the U.S. in New
York City to record his music as the David
Sanford Big Band, with soloists that include trumpeter Brad Goode, saxophonist Anna
Webber, and trombonist Mike
Christianson. A key contributor to the sound and spirit of the group is Hugh Ragin, who is featured on trumpet
and as composer and conductor of the albums centerpiece and title work, A Prayer For Lester Bowie, which is
an homage to the late, great trumpeter and co-founder of the Art Ensemble of
Chicago. The rest of the album comprises six characteristically kaleidoscopic
Sanford compositions inspired by everything from rollercoasters to film noir
plus his modern arrangement of Dizzy
Atmosphere, by one of his earliest jazz influences, Dizzy Gillespie. This
is vibrant, exciting large ensemble music that sees no limits.

1. Full Immersion 2. Subtraf 3. Woman in Shadows 4. popit 5. A Prayer For Lester Bowie 6. Dizzy Atmosphere 7. Soldier and the CEO 8. V-Reel

• Format Detail: CD 4-panel Digipak
• Format: CD
• Genre: Jazz