Soundscapes

Description

Bob Mintzer has a gift that he developed during his brief association with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, his two years with the Buddy Rich Big Band, and also with Jaco Pastorius and the Mouth Big Band. With Soundscapes, the maestro returns now as the leader of the WDR Big Band with 10 new tracks. "At WDR, there is, after all, a tradition where the conductor implements a project born from his own writing. I have composed a lot over the past five years. Soundscapes is a showcase of groove moods and complex writing, with Bob Mintzer also as a soloist on his tenor saxophone, a companion for so many years, while highlighting other exceptional musicians - such as Paul Heller, a long-time member of WDR, on sax, Karolina Strassmayer and Johan Hörlén on alto saxophone, Ruud Breuls and Andy Haderer on trumpet, and Andy Chasseur on trombone. Recorded in December 2019, the album is undoubtedly one of his best performances.