Music Monday: Three Big Bands

I really like big bands. The bigger and stranger (and sometimes more obscure) they are, the better.

This weekend, I decided to listen to Bill Dixon’s Intents and Purposes(1967) in part because someone reminded me that Byard Lancaster (one of my favorite Philadelphia sax players) appeared on it. I also realized that I hadn’t listened to it for a long time and was sort of inclined to listen so something that confirmed a project can be adventurous, exploratory, and grandiose at the same time. As a fan of Sun Ra, I was aware that big bands could sound improvised, edgy, and provocative, while also being improvised and well-honed.

For that sounds — and you’ll know it when you hear it — it doesn’t get much better than Intents and Purposes. 

As readers of this blog know, I have some favorite big band albums that sometimes make repeat appearances here. I’ve mentioned Phil Cohran’s career in Chicago, but I don’t know as if I posted his classic 1968 album Spanish Suite. This album is amazing. One track. 39 minutes long. A world of sound (both literally and figuratively). On the YouTubes, it is broken into four parts and they are worth the additional clicks: 

Part 1: 

Part 2; Part 3; Part 4.

Finally, one of my favorite relatively obscure big band dates is Charles Tolliver’s Music Inc. (1970) released on his own Strata-East label. It’s a remarkable ensemble and Tolliver’s trumpet never gets lost or too deeply submerged by the swells of the band.