Thank you, Peter Bacon for a very nice and competent review:
Jazz Bigband Graz – True Stories (Natango Music): What I like about this European big band, co-led by German saxophonist/flautist Heinrich von Kalnein and Austrian trumpeter Horst-Michael Schaffer is its adventurous spirit. It rarely sounds like a conventional jazz big band (whatever that is…) and this time around Schaffer, the primary composer here, has chosen to focus on his affection for pop music. That doesn’t mean we get orchestrated Abba or anything like that, it just means that there is a catchiness about the original music and attention given to easily accessible grooves and surface glitz. There are electronic touches, Schaffer sings a Shakespeare sonnet and the band sounds great. Delayed features a fine solo from guest trumpeter Sebastian Studnitzky. Peter Bacon
