Feb 12 2017
Recommended: Big Pocket Orchestra – “Big Pocket Orchestra”
Everything about Big Pocket Orchestra is fun. The septet that comprise the Big Pocket Orchestra run popular TV and movie themes through a traditional jazz lens, and I’ll be damned if every single one of them aren’t clever. Opening the album with the 20th Century Fox theme gets the fun started. Darth Vader’s voice intoning “I am your father” to a Latin Jazz version of the Star Wars theme is a highlight. Also a highlight is how the theme to Peter Gunn shifts right into that of James Bond. Harry Potter makes an appearance, as do the Flintstones. However, the absolute gem of this delightful recording is the mash-up of the Paul Desmond-Dave Brubeck tune “Take Five” and the theme from Game of Thrones. The transition between those two melodies, back and forth in the blink of an eye, is about the niftiest thing I’ve heard in a while.
Albums that do the movie-TV show thing can come off as trite. Many times it’s nothing more than a popular melody wrapped in an empty suit of a song. But Big Pocket Orchestra have created tunes that are enjoyable to listen to all on their own, and their contextual relationship to pop culture is simply an added bonus. And, most importantly, they made it especially fun.
Your album personnel: Melisa Bertossi (soprano sax), Matias Muñoz (keyboards), Sergio Lopez (drums, percussion), Alejandro Mazzoni (bass, double bass, guitar), Ale Ortega (trombones, accordion, guitar), Adriano Torregiani (saxophones, flute, harmonica) and Alberto Perez Jordana (trumpets, flugelhorn).
This album is Self-Produced.
Listen to more of the album at the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Music from Barcelona, Spain.
Available at: Bandcamp
Robert Middleton
February 12, 2017 @ 3:16 pm
Hi Dave, Melisa Bertossi is obviously a talent to be reckoned with. The sound of this recording is huge and touched with genius and a crazy sense of humor. But perhaps a little too bombastic and novelty-oriented for many repeat listenings. However, her other album listed on Bandcamp, Strange Feather, is a beautiful and very strong release from a more conventional, but highly talented jazz quintet. The sound is crystal clear and the melodies are catchy and highly listenable. A great release that I’ll download without hesitation today. Thanks for turning us all on to this very talented artist from Barcelona.
davesumner
February 12, 2017 @ 10:31 pm
Hey, Rob.
Y’know, I meant to mention Strange Feather, but I was in such a rush to just get that BPO post up, I forgot to add something on.
Totally get what you mean about the novelty of it all. That BPO recording is the kind of album I like to have in my library when I need something smart to bring a smile to my face. I’m certain it’ll get played most often on Sunday nights if the week ahead starts to weigh on me before it’s yet begun.
Cheers,
Dave