WEEKENDER I SOUNDS

Brecker, Holmquist give big band material an exciting update

10/11/2018
BY TOM HENRY
BLADE STAFF WRITER
  • brecker-jpg-1

    Jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker

    • TOGETHER

    Randy Brecker & Mats Holmquist with UMO Jazz Orchestra

    Randy Brecker, who performed March 10 at the Valentine Theatre with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, is featured on this stunning, sophisticated, and complex album of big band material performed by Findland’s celebrated UMO Jazz Orchestra, which has had an A-list of special guests since its founding in 1975 that includes Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, John Scofield, and Brecker’s late brother, Michael Brecker.

    Swedish arranger Mats Holmquist is at the top of his game with these compositions, which are filled with beauty and grace but also action-packed solos and a real multilayered sound.

    The music is tight, bold, beautiful, and — well — intriguing. Included are a trio of Chick Corea songs, including a rarely performance ballad, “Crystal Silence.”

    The 18-piece UMO Jazz Orchestra, with help from Brecker’s trumpet and Holmquist’s arrangements, make this an album with few dull spots and a lot of captivating sounds.

    Contact Tom Henry at thenry@theblade.com, 419-724-6079, or via Twitter @ecowriterohio.