The 2017 CD was made by the Toronto University Jazz Orchestra as a backup for British jazz singer Norma Winstone. The band’s debut as an instrumental ensemble is scheduled to be released on January 10, 2020. The band’s leader, Gordon Foote, is a 26-year jazz veteran and Professor of Jazz Studies at McGill University. He has made them a formidable unit that can compete with professional jazz orchestras across the U.S. With 19 members, it might seem overwhelming. But, it all comes down to the arrangement. Glenn Miller said that four trumpets, four trombones, and five reeds allow you a lot to mix and match your players to create unique timbres. The UT forces includes two French horns, a la Claude Thornhill, in addition to the regular rhythm section. Their arrangements are what impressed me most about this group. They don’t try to imitate what I call “Tonight Show Band” sound, which is basically what a generic but good big band sounds like over the past 50 years. Another thing I found impressive was the fact that all arrangements, except the first, were created by the band members. Director Foote has a lot to be proud about. From www.uoftjazz.ca
