Article by Todd Matthews

Perhaps it was the sold-out crowd at Meany Hall, and the scores of people turned away.

Maybe it was the number of unsolicited notes that read, 'We loved the concert. We want to support you.'

Whatever the case, saxophonist Michael Brockman knew that there was an audience for big band music in the Pacific Northwest -- an audience arguably dormant, though still curious about the genre's venerable composers, skilled musicians, and explosive orchestral sound. "It was clear that there was a market for it," recalls Brockman, who is part of the Music faculty at the University of Washington, teaching saxophone and jazz studies. Indeed, the 1992 concert (entitled 'An Evening of Duke Ellington') was memorable, and earned Brockman's big band an Earshot award. "[Drummer Clarence] Acox and I started talking about how exciting that [concert] was, and we both had the same idea: we should make this a permanent group."

Thus, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) was born -- a group of musicians committed to presenting the great works of big band jazz. The SRJO will kick off its eighth season this fall. Meanwhile, a large number of area musicians are celebrating a renaissance of sorts for big band jazz in the Pacific Northwest. "There is a general growing appreciation for the great heritage of big band music," says Brockman. "People don't think of it anymore as the hits of the swing years. I think the audience has moved up markedly in its appreciation. Everyone is talking about it. I think things are on a roll that way."

Certainly, big band jazz in Seattle is not new. The first notable Northwest big band leader was Gene Coy, a drummer who headed up the Nine Rhythm Racketeers in the early-1930s. Similarly, alto saxophonist Earl Whaley led the Red Hot Syncopators at a number of Seattle gigs around the same time. The region also boasted such big band notables as composer Andy Kirk, tenor saxophonist Dick Wilson, and guitarist and bassist Alvin "Junior" Raglin (who later joined Duke Ellington's big band).

That history of big band jazz in the Pacific Northwest is furthered today by contemporary notables such as Jim Knapp, Jay Thomas, Charlie May, Bill Ramsay, Jim Kerl; and orchestras such as Roadside Attraction, Magnolia Big Band, Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra, Jim Kerl's Swing Session, Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, the Swing Reunion Orchestra, Kings of Swing, Tuxedo Junction, Johnny Lewis Big Band, and The Blue Moon Howlers. "There are some of the best jazz players I have met or heard anywhere, bar none, living right here in Tacoma and Seattle," says Rich Wetzel, a Tacoma-based trumpeter and leader of the Groovin' Higher Jazz Orchestra. "The big band jazz orchestras seem to have the fire, the hottest players in the area. In my opinion, they are the most fun. "[It] is a very cool thing to see and be part of."

Publishers of big band jazz compositions also contribute to the rich and robust scene. Port Townsend's Sierra Music Publications publishes the big band music of Stan Kenton, Bill Holman, and Maynard Ferguson (among others). Seattle-based Marina Music Service is devoted exclusively to big band jazz charts (the company boasts approximately 4,000 titles, including some obscure repertory such as Yusef Lateef and Charlie Mingus) and has sold them worldwide since the mid 1970's. Daniel Barry Publications, also based in Seattle, publishes jazz ensemble music, and boasts a Northwest Writers Series that includes the work of Greg Metcalf, Greg Yasinitsky, and Tom Molter.

What this means for Pacific Northwest audiences is a rich and varied selection of big band musicians, orchestras and publishers. If you need proof, just check the regional calendar of live jazz for any given week. Big band jazz orchestras commandeer Tuesday nights at Tula's in Seattle. The Magnolia Big Band performs a low-key, yet audience-friendly, rehearsal every week in the Seattle neighborhood that shares its namesake. Tacoma's Jazz Bones also offers big band music. The SRJO kicks off its concert series in November -- a showcase that will bring vocalist Dee Daniels and flutist/saxophonist James Moody to Seattle, and last through next summer. Seattle even has its own all-female big band group: the Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO). "The big band scene is thriving due to some great musicians who have a real passion for it," says Wetzel. "I do not say that lightly. I mean [musicians who] spend a lot of time, energy and money, and [use] a lot of bartering and creativity, to [build] these great libraries."

One factor contributing to the explosion of regional interest in big band jazz is the expert level of musicianship and instrumentation associated with this genre of music. Duos typically play free jazz: unadulterated improvisation. As the group grows, arrangements are usually worked out in the performance so that people know who's going to play what. As the number of musicians increases (a six-piece or eight-piece group), arrangements are written where people have very specific parts, so as to avoid an unwieldy situation. Further, as the group grows it has to become more defined in order for it to sound like a well-organized performance.

Big band jazz is born.

Big band jazz orchestras are capable of doing things small groups -- such as trios and quartets -- simply cannot. A large palate of instrumental colors . . . enough forces to weave counter-melodies around counter-melodies . . . a very broad dynamic range: big band jazz takes the listener on a much more powerful journey than smaller groups.

"You get so much more energy from a big band," says Dan Rupert, a trombonist with the Magnolia Big Band. "I'll do casuals with a small group and sit there all night thinking, 'Man, I wish we had more.' It's not quite the same."

"The most obvious [advantages] are power and thickness of sound," adds the Tacoma-based trumpeter Wetzel. "When twenty guys play, [rather] than three or four, [there are] more sonorities, more contrasting and complimenting styles of ensemble and solo playing. It's like comparing having only vanilla [ice cream] to walking into Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors, on steroids!"

For composer Jim Knapp, conciseness is the rule so that there is an ebb and flow of composition and improvisation. This requires a high degree of attention and a wide range of musicianship on the part of the musicians. "A good soloist will respond to this challenge of improvising within an orchestral context," says Knapp, commenting on the level of musicianship required of big band musicians. "I think that it is essential to have excellent soloists with distinct musical personalities. I feel particularly fortunate to have such musicians in my band."

The big band jazz musician must have great rhythmic reading. He or she must be able to play real angular lines that may not make much sense if they were played by themselves as a soloist. In fact, one musician claimed, when a big band musician sits next to any other orchestral musician, the big band player out-reads anyone around them. The ability to read complicated arrangements is such a vital part of being able to play in a big band.

Along with an advanced level of musicianship is a show of teamwork that isn't necessarily seen in small group arrangements. What big band jazz audiences get that is special is a huge sense of camaraderie out of a team of skilled musicians. Every individual on the stage is fulfilling a critical role, and the energy that is generated by that group works together in precision. The appreciation of how carefully constructed the arrangement is to let those musicians all play together with precision and excitement is something that is exhilarating to an audience -- in the same way that seeing a 100-piece symphony orchestra all functioning together is really exciting. It's witnessing a huge team effort to play something that is otherwise impossible to do.

"People who are otherwise soloists and used to playing in a small group and used to having that total freedom to play what they want," explains Brockman, "they come and sit side-by-side with their friends and equals, with whom they rarely get to play. There is a real satisfaction there. Especially when it goes well."

Big bands haven't always been the favored vehicle of jazz musicians. There was a time when big band music was ignored -- even frowned upon -- by area performers. If you were a 'real' jazz soloist, one area musician told me, you wouldn't deign to play in the big band because that was for people who couldn't make it in a small group. Small group musicians appreciated the freedom to improvise -- something they couldn't find in big band orchestras. Also, a lot of people who did love big band music during the first half of the twentieth century ignored it during the second half of the twentieth century.

But that sentiment has changed. Increasingly the good musicians in town are performing in big bands. Big band jazz is breaking tradition and introducing improvisational solos and the freedom to create original compositions. For many of the composers and musicians introducing new ideas, the music needs to speak to current times in order to survive. The genre has been around long enough to have masterworks; it is the contemporary ideas, say some musicians, which need to be voiced through the vocabulary of big band jazz.

The ability to write original compositions and introduce contemporary ideas is a surprising characteristic of big band jazz, especially since the genre dates back to the 1930's. When audiences think of 'big band,' they may think of Glenn Miller and swing music before World War II. Big band often conjures nostalgic images that lack freshness and contemporary influences. "In general, there seems to be two schools of thought for large ensemble jazz performance: leaders that take a retrospective or repertory approach and those musicians who endeavor to achieve a personal expression of original music," says Seattle-based composer Knapp. "The term 'big band' seems to refer to the retro group, while those striving for a personal expression tend to avoid the term because of its nostalgic connotation."

Case in point: Seattle-based musician/composer Chris Stover. "I don't like [the title] 'Chris Stover Big Band' at all," says Stover. "That's something about jazz that I think sucks." If contemporary big band jazz sounds like a contradiction of terms, you haven't witnessed Stover in action. On the third Tuesday of each month, Stover presents a truly unconventional and slightly funky big band concert -- a show Stover dubs 'Involuntary Narcissism.' (During one performance last July, Stover turned to the audience between sets, wide-eyed and somewhat surprised by the turnout, and commented, "Not a bad crowd for a weird jazz gig on a Tuesday night.") Stover works within the parameters of big band jazz, but he is clearly pushing the envelope, leaning toward avant-garde and experimental influences. Stover's sets are long, with very few interruptions. It isn't uncommon for Stover to blend the pop tunes of Alanis Morissette and Elvis Costello with the classical compositions of Johannes Brahms. Though the compositions are sprawling and appear to meander at times, there is always something for the listener and the performer to latch onto.

The result? A packed crowd at Patti Summer's Lounge at the Pike Place Market.

"I think [my music] is based on the big band tradition," says Stover. "There are soloists, and vehicles built around the soloists. We are obviously using the same instruments. But we're trying to do a little bit more modern kind of thing. For the most part, all the music that we are doing is either original music or arrangements of modern tunes. We're getting away from standards. We are doing contemporary things."

These varied selections of original compositions that reflect contemporary ideas make the Pacific Northwest big band jazz scene exciting and rich. Whereas the SRJO offers classic repertory jazz to audiences, the Jazz Police performs entirely original charts by Northwest writers -- with an emphasis on Afro-Cuban and Brazilian traditions. Whereas Roadside Attraction extends the tradition of orchestral ensembles, composer Knapp enlists a variety of compositional textures ranging from traditional sectional writing to a contrapuntal chamber orchestra approach.

"It's a very healthy scene as measured by the number of active groups there are, and the variety of active groups," observes Brockman. "When you go hear the different big bands, they are all different. They all have a different focus. The variety is very cool."

Original compositions and contemporary ideas make it easy to forget that big band jazz is a genre of music steeped in history. If you are looking for a band that is preserving the big band sounds and traditions, look no further than the Magnolia Big Band.

The late Harry Eilenberger, Jr. -- a Boeing engineer by trade, jazz musician by moonlight -- founded the band in 1970, in the basement of the Magnolia Congregational Church. The band moved around a bit (from church-to-church within the Magnolia neighborhood), but the appreciation and presentation of big band jazz tunes remained the same. Today the group performs every Tuesday night in the basement of the Magnolia Presbyterian Church. The performance . . . low-key. The audience . . . small but appreciative. The music . . . rich in arrangements by Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Les Brown, and Count Basie.

"This is a very low-ego band," says trombone player Dan Rupert. "Other bands have gigs all the time. Our guys are much more low-key. Because we don't do as many [club] performances, we don't have an emphasis like other bands do. What frees us is what limits other bands. Most bands are there because they want to play. They want to gig. They have got to hustle up gigs. We are completely the opposite. We have guys who are happy just to be here and read tunes."

The Magnolia Big Band's philosophy is different: play the works of traditional big band jazz composers while having fun. Perhaps that is the best approach, as the salaries for many big bands lag -- as is common with most arts-related performances. As popular as big band music may be, the truth is that very few people are making a living at big band jazz. Part of the problem is finding the right venue that will commit to the space needed for twelve to sixteen musicians. From a club owner's perspective, it's difficult to give over the stage to a large group. Big bands also tend to take over the entire club for that evening, in terms of the volume; it is hard for patrons to do anything except focus on the band.

"This band has never been about money," says Ted Bowden, the lead trumpet player in the Magnolia Big Band. "You lose every time. It's a losing proposition. We could go [to a club], make five bucks a piece, spend twelve bucks in drinks, and fight for parking. Or we can come out to the church and play every week and have a good time."

Though the money isn't there, that doesn't mean that the group is a rag-tag collection of unpolished musicians. The Magnolia Big Band carries ten brass, which means it can perform compositions that other bands cannot (most notably, many of Stan Kenton's arrangements). The band also has an extensive library of nearly 900 charts; the musicians can perform for six months or more, three hours per week, without repeating a song. And several of the musicians have been with the band since its inception, more than thirty years ago.

"We're definitely a casual group of guys, but we are serious about the music," says Rupert. "This isn't the Tuesday night Elk's club. I don't think there's a big band playing that doesn't have a representative in our alumni. Our guys have played with every band in the world." Still, the group remains casual and without hype about its performance. The band doesn't advertise its weekly performance ("people walk past the church, hear the music, and come inside," says Rupert). Rare is the gig at a regional jazz venue. About as flashy as the group gets is its 1999 compact disc, recorded in the Mountain Room at the Rainier Brewery. The disc, 'One More For Harry,' is a tribute to Eilenberger. The result? A boisterous recording of compositions by venerable big band legends (Gershwin, Van Heusen, Berlin, Rodgers, et al.) performed by one of the most storied big bands in Seattle.

When asked if the Magnolia Big Band is preserving big band jazz, Rupert and Bowden are hesitant.

"To me, it's fun," says Bowden, lead trumpet player in the band. "If it weren't fun, I wouldn't be there. Everybody is laughing and having a good time. You come out and play for a better part of two hours. You kind of forget your troubles. It's really a thrill."

What will be the future of big band jazz in the Pacific Northwest? The current scene is exciting, robust, and richly varied in musicianship and composition.

The future looks even brighter.

Pacific Northwest audiences are contributing to what appears to be a promising road for regional big band jazz. The music survives here because people pay more attention to the arts, and recognize the value of going out and listening to live music.

But the largest influences on the future of big band jazz are local high schools. The high school scene is fantastic due to a large number of talented jazz musicians who are working as music directors. Professionals such as Clarence Acox, Scott Brown, and Darin Faul are working with students to perfect a craft. "It's a great big battle of the bands from all the local high schools," says Brockman. "There are a lot of talented, young musicians, and a lot of talented teachers who are willing to give of themselves. I think that's one of the elements in our local scene that is unique. In a lot of towns, the best players will not deign to work with students."

Last spring, the 6th Annual 'Hot Java, Cool Jazz' concert series (a show featuring the leading jazz bands from five regional high schools) sold out Seattle's Benaroya Hall. The local high school scene is a 'farm team' of sorts for the up-and-coming leaders in big band jazz.

"[There are a] number of high schools in the area who all have really tremendous big band jazz," adds Brockman. "That is a major portion of why this region has an awareness of big band jazz, and why there is an audience for it. I'm always looking at new music, and realizing that what keeps the music fresh, and will keep a younger audience interested. If you don't build an audience and have fresh new listeners coming in, eventually you lose your audience."

To that end, the SRJO hosts an annual event called 'Jazz For Kids.' The show is free to kids, their parents, their grandparents, their older brothers -- whomever it is that's bringing them. The response is overwhelmingly positive.

"The great American jazz orchestra is a tremendous vehicle to write for," says Brockman. "When a young composer hears a piece by Ellington juxtaposed with a piece by Bill Smith, then I think a young composer says, 'Hey, I want to write for that kind of group.' There are a lot of young composers writing for big bands. But I am talking about the true prodigy virtuosi writers who are in schools of music writing now, looking at their careers, and asking themselves, 'Do I want to write for electronic instruments, a chamber group, or how about I write for the great American jazz orchestra?' That's something that we [must] do -- win more of them over to the American music. Because those other things are not unique and special to America. Big band jazz is our unique tradition -- a musical tradition that the rest of the world stands in envy of."

This article originally appeared in Earshot Jazz magazine