Then & Now – The Phil Norman Tentet

2017 GRAMMY FINALIST/BEST ARRANGEMENT for “Linus & Lucy” by Christian Jacob

The idea behind this incredible sounding project was to bring back some of the classic sounds of jazz history with a powerful new twist. Choosing cool west coast jazz sounds of the ’50s & ’60s (that found their way to the Top 100 Jazz tunes historically), Norman and his cast of premier musicians and arrangers combine the classic well known sounds with the more modern jazz sound of today. The result will take your breath away! Featured Artists: Christian Jacob – piano Kevin Axt – bass Dick Weller – drums Larry Koonse – guitar; Brad Dutz – percussion, vibes; Scott Whitfield – trombone; Carl Saunders – trumpet; Ron Stout – trumpet; Rusty Higgins – alto sax, soprano sax, flute; Roger Neumann – baritone sax, bass clarinet, flute; Phil Norman – tenor sax, clarinet LA’s finest musicians and arrangers Superbly recorded – Incredible Quality Sound! WOW! Listening to the Phil Norman Tentet is like hearing the very essence of the best big band jazz – with all the thrills of that remarkable sound, but a lot less volume. Big bands are often described as the symphony orchestras of jazz. More than that, big band instrumentation has been vital to the soundtrack of American life for nearly a century. But mid-sized bands such as the Tentet have played an equally vital role as the chamber ensembles of jazz, with a similarly rich potential for creative diversity. Think of the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool bands, the West Coast jazz bands of the fifties, the Mingus bands, and – more recently – the octets of Dave Holland and David Murray. Each is different from the other, finding new, illuminating ways to use an instrumentation of eight to ten or eleven players in authentic jazz fashion. ————— Since 1995 the group’s ongoing mission remains transforming the sounds of cool modern west coast jazz for the new millennium. Their previous MAMA releases stayed on jazz radio’s Top 50 chart for 24 straight weeks.