The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra: Flying Colors

SUMMIT 818 (NO RECORDING DATE)

There are swing big bands. There are modern jazz big bands. There are free jazz big bands. There are high school stage bands. There are dance bands. There are Afro-Latin big bands. There are jazz repertoire bands. There are big bands that blend contemporary classical music with jazz. Then there is The Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra with all the trademarks of a solid and swinging big band — outstanding solos, crisp arrangements, a varied repertoire, lots of drum breaks, high note trumpet blasts and tight section playing. If this is the kind of big band music you enjoy, you are in for a treat. Urwin assembled some of the most in-demand players on the Los Angeles scene for Flying Colors, including tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb, pianist Christian Jacob, trombonist Scott Whitfield and trumpeter Carl Saunders (the last date he recorded before he passed away in February 2023). In addition to showcasing these top-notch soloists, Urwin’s arranging skills are on full display throughout the 12 tracks that vary from Hank Mobley’s “This I Dig of You,” to Luiz Bonfa’s “A Day in the Life of a Fool” to Gene De Paul’s “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” Regardless of the style — hard bop, bossas, ballads, jazz waltzes (“Let’s Fall in Love), movie themes (“Vertigo”) or Urwin originals (“Spur of the Moment”) — the release defines the art of straight-ahead, swinging, unadulterated big band jazz.

BOTTOM LINE: Arranger and leader Gary Urwin shares his recipe for a swinging big band jazz session on Flying Colors. Start with base of solid arrangements. Add a generous dose of outstanding soloists. Mix with a helping of hard bop, Latin, blues ballads and other “spices.” Then cook!