Republic of Jazz: Bob Mintzer Big Band with New York Voices - Meeting of Minds (MCG Jazz June 22, 2018)

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Bob Mintzer Big Band with New York Voices - Meeting of Minds (MCG Jazz June 22, 2018)

“Meeting of Minds” focuses on the integration of voices with the big band. The combination of the dynamic writing styles of Bob Mintzer and Darmon Meader, from New York Voices, produces a very dense yet very fresh sonic palette. There are subtle harmonic and rhythmic nuances in the arrangements that blend together to deliver an engaging musical journey. The repertoire draws on the Great American Songbook from the 1930s and 1940s. Each arrangement transforms a classic song into a modern-day hit revealing the lasting power of a great song. In addition to the wonderful arrangements, the album showcases over a dozen powerful improvised solos from some of the top musicians in the world. The collaboration is truly a musically rich Meeting of Minds.

“Working with New York Voices on this project has been a total joy,” said Mintzer. “They are a tight knit, dynamic vocal group, as good as they come. Damon Meader’s vocal arrangements were exquisite! He took what was there in the arrangements and integrated the vocals in such a clever way. As always, the band rose to the occasion. Great soloists and superb ensemble playing on some fairly challenging arrangements. The material on Meeting of Minds is so very strong. The cream of the crop of the popular song of the 1940s. It was fun to go somewhere else arrangement-wise while acknowledging the greatness and intention of the tunes. They don’t write lyrics like this anymore. Kudos to Marty Ashby and the staff at MCG Jazz for providing the vehicle for this project to come to fruition. The idea of collaborating with the New York Voices seemed like such a good idea from the very beginning. Grateful we got to do this!”

Meader, speaking collectively for the members of New York Voices, said, “Working with Bob and his band was definitely a ‘bucket list’ opportunity. We have all been big fans of his writing and playing for years; so, to jump into this collaboration was a thrill. Writing our four-part harmony into his intricate big band charts created a different sound from previous NYV projects, shifting our role in an interesting way. It was fun to figure out how to dance in and out of the big band textures, and the end result was very rewarding.”