Search - Boyd Raeburn :: Boyd Raeburn and His Orchestra 1944

Superb performances by a band in transition

madamemusico | Cincinnati, Ohio USA | 04/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the time these radio transcription discs were made, the Boyd Raeburn orchestra was subtly moving from the "orchestrated Lester Young" style of arranger Eddie Finckel to the denser, more Stravinskian textures of George Handy. It may sound a little comical to think of a Stravinskian approach to such drecky pop material as "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet," and yet Handy manages to bring it off. Here we have a true "art" orchestra masquerading as a pop band; no wonder Billy Eckstine asked the audience at the Apollo Theater to pay careful attention to what this band was playing during their one-week stint there!For those who have never heard the Raeburn band before, what you may expect to hear are rich, almost classical textures using the standard brass and reeds of a pop big band, with harmonic substitutions, unusual timbral mixtures and rhythmic displacements that always keep the mind engaged, sprinkled with very good jazz solos that just miss the mark of genius. In addition to this album, I also highly recommend the Savoy CD "Jewells" which contains the best-sounding records the band ever made and at least a baker's dozen of exceptional performances that have no equal in big-band jazz. It's a shame that this orchestra isn't better-known than it is but, with no hit records to leave a trail on our popular culture, it is destined to remain an afficionado's favorite."