As Recorded By Bob Brookmeyer And The New Art Orchestra. Par MULLIGAN GERRY. Celebration, a 4-movement suite, was written for and premiered by Gerry Mulligan at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Lübeck, Germany in 1994. Recorded by Bob Brookmeyer and the New Art Orchestra on New Works (Challenge CHR 70066), featuring Scott Robinson, baritone sax. 'The good will and beautiful playing of the musicians can not be described in words... just music. They have my eternal gratitude for making my life and music shine.' Bob Brookmeyer Bob Brookmeyer (b. 1929) began writing music at age 14 and also began playing the valve trombone, arriving in NY in 1952. After joining Stan Getz in 1953, he replaced Chet Baker in the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, remaining with Mulligan for nine years, writing much of the music for the Concert Jazz Band. With Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, he wrote ABC Blues, Willow Weep For Me and St. Louis Blues, all seminal additions to the big band literature. After returning from California in 1978, he became Musical Director of the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and wrote some of the finest music for that band including American Express, Ding Dong Ding, First Love Song, Hello and Goodbye, and Skylark. In the 1980s he wrote for both Jazz and Classical Orchestras and in 1994 formed the New Art Orchestra, an 18-piece ensemble of mainly European musicians. They have recorded two CDs for the Challenge label and commenced touring in 2001. A book on Composition is in the works and a DVD on Band Teaching is also planned. During the past decade, Brookmeyer has composed a diverse collection of jazz material, chamber music, and large orchestral works./ Répertoire / Big Band

Par RICKER RAMON. 'Suspended Animation' is a contemporary straight-eighth feel with sections that can be opened up for any player to solo. The entire composition is built on only two suspended chords, and is written in a manner that makes it easy for young bands to quickly get into the piece. With only two chords to worry about, much of the anxiety of wrong notes is eliminated and the student can immediately concentrate on making music. Professionals will also have fun with the chart when it is opened up for extended solos. The piece was inspired by an improvised solo and chord progression that is found in Volume 1 of the Ramon Ricker Improvisation Series. Beginning improvisers will find the brief Notes on the Improvised Sections helpful. But, a more thorough discussion can be found in Volume 1 of the Ramon Ricker Improvisation Series. Medium Easy Advance Music is proud to present our new Groovin' Easy Series. We've taken 10 tunes from two popular Advance Music publications (Reading Key Jazz Rhythms and The Ramon Ricker Improvisation Series) and asked our writers to give us creative and musically challenging charts that are also playable by young bands. To the normal big band instrumentation of 5 saxes, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and rhythm section we've added optional parts for flute, clarinet, French horn, guitar and auxiliary percussion. In addition, each chart is written to sound full with a reduced instrumentation of only 3 saxes, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone and rhythm section. The brass ranges are reasonable with the lead trumpet never going above a written C and the rhythm section parts are carefully notated and thought out./ Répertoire / Big Band

From the Mingus Big Band CD Live In Time this is one of the most creative charts in the band's book. Don't be fooled by the apparent normal sounds at the beginning as this multi-styled production number gets a little out of control later on!

The tunes made popular in the '40s are still alive in contemporary arrangements. All are written in compatible books and are great for combos of 2, 3 or more. Titles include: C Jam Blues * Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me * Georgia on My Mind * In a Mellow Tone * It Don't Mean a Thing * Over the Rainbow * 720 in the Books.

The tunes made popular in the '40s are still alive in contemporary arrangements. All are written in compatible books and are great for combos of 2, 3 or more. Titles include: C Jam Blues * Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me * Georgia on My Mind * In a Mellow Tone * It Don't Mean a Thing * Over the Rainbow * 720 in the Books.