Plenty of new big band and large ensemble releases this week, starting with Mathias Heise and the Danish Radio Big Band’s expansive reworking of Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, and vocalist Josefine Cronholm’s deeply personal collaboration with Norrbotten Big Band on Solace. Giovanni Falzone and LIBERA BAND celebrate the centenary of Miles Davis with a boundary-pushing suite of original music in A Suite For Miles, the Orchestre National de Jazz and Sylvaine Hélary honour Carla Bley through vivid new orchestrations in With Carla, and Richard Baratta’s Another Kind of Bird breathes fresh energy into the music of Charlie Parker with the help of an all-star ensemble.
A Love Supreme Revisited
Mathias Heise & DR Big Band
Mathias Heise and the Danish Radio Big Band reimagine Coltrane’s A Love Supreme as a sweeping contemporary big band work, weaving John Coltrane’s original improvisations into bold new orchestrations. Centring the chromatic harmonica within the suite’s spiritual and historical depth, the album honours Coltrane’s original work while expanding its harmonic scope into a powerful modern statement.
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Solace
Josefine Cronholm & Norrbotten Big Band
On Solace, vocalist Josefine Cronholm joins Norrbotten Big Band for a collaboration created to celebrate Cronholm’s 50th birthday, featuring newly commissioned works by composers connected to her artistic journey. Blending contemporary big band writing with Scandinavian jazz traditions, the album forms a rich musical portrait of Cronholm’s artistry, voice and creative spirit.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 48 kHz, 24 bit)
Suite For Miles
Giovanni Falzone
Created to mark the centenary of Miles Davis, this suite sees LIBERA BAND explore the boundary-free sounds of the 20th-century, avoiding imitation in favour of new and original compositions. A pioneer of Italian jazz, Giovanni Falzone crafts an album that combines expansive sound worlds with visual artwork and photography created in tribute to Davis’s enduring legacy.
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
With Carla
Orchestre National De Jazz
Led by Sylvaine Hélary, the Orchestre National de Jazz pays tribute to Carla Bley through vivid arrangements and extensions by Rémi Sciuto, honouring her spirit without resorting to replicas. Balancing wit, emotional depth and adventurous orchestration, the album reimagines Bley’s music as an evolving force that challenges convention, all whilst celebrating her enduring artistic legacy.
Available format: Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
Another Kind of Bird
Richard Baratta
On Another Kind of Bird, drummer Richard Baratta and arranger-pianist Bill O'Connell revisit the music of Charlie Parker, combining nostalgia and fresh energy in one fell swoop. Backed by a powerhouse ensemble featuring Vincent Herring, Eric Alexander, Abraham Burton and Craig Handy, the album presents Parker’s music as vibrantly as ever.
Available formats: CD, Download & Streaming (up to 96 kHz, 24 bit)
