XXL: The Bigger the better!

So, why'll sitting in my room drinking my second pot of coffee for the day, I was again listening to my most favorite composer of all time, David Maslanka. However, he hasn't come out with anything new in a little while, and I can only listen to his 8th Symphony be helplessly played by the Illinois State University Wind Ensemble so many times. So, I turn my attention to the other 42.7 days of music I have sitting on my computer. And I happened to come across some Jazz! All right!

Looking through, I honestly thought that none of my jazz collection would be cool or hip enough for the likes of my fellow peers. So I skimmed through again, thought to myself, "I like big band music too much to not write about it" and started writing. So here we go!

A good friend of mine gave me a CD entitled XXL: Gordon Goodwinds Big Phat Band a while back, and sad to say I thought I had lost it. Luckily, due to the technological age we live in, I told him this, and he gave me another. As I finally listen to it now, I wonder why I haven't listened sooner! Ever hear of Gordon Goodwind? Ever see the movie The Incredibles? He arranged the ending credits to the movie, and won a Grammy in 2006 for it. Pretty hip, if I do say so myself. Take a listen if you want.

This CD is so much fun to listen to, with of course a few exceptions of pieces that I just skip whenever they come along. One track called "The Quiet Corner" is drenching with smooth jazz, and would most likely be heard in elevators across Americas shopping malls. I also suggest not listening to it when your alone with anyone...they might get the wrong impression. Another track I would skip is "Comes Love", which sounds too much like an American Idol audition than anything else.

However, the rest of the CD is great! The clarinet solo in "Thad said no" is very well performed, and probably my most favorite track on there has to be "Hunting Wabbits." It's Gordon Goodwinds take on the classic Warner Bros. cartons of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, and it makes me smile every time I listen to it. Goodwind also has an incredible arrangement of Mozart's 40th Symphony in G minor on this CD. Sometimes when you hear jazz arrangements of symphonies like this, most writers do not do them justice. This one however is a very classy arrangement, and just like the rest of the album, it's very fun to listen to.

So if you're looking to get back into listening to big band, I would say this is a good place to start. It's a tight group, the soloists are outstanding, and the music can just put you in a good mood.