Formed
in 2004, the Classic Jazz Orchestra’s mission is to
explore the faboulously varied back-catalogue of jazz in an
informative, entertaining and professional way. Its remit,
however, is to re-interpret, not replicate, jazz styles covering
the period from the early 1900s to about 1970. In other words,
up to the point where rock rhythms began to supplant swinging
jazz feel, and John Coltrane’s innovations changed the
basis of improvisation. Up to that point, jazz had evolved
organically out of what had gone before: Horace Silver could
not have played as he did without Jelly Roll Morton having
played as he did decades before. Over that time span it was
effectively the one music at different stages of development,
but recognisably the one timeless music.
With
the benefit of hindsight, it is possible to move well-constructed
pieces backwards or forwards along this timeline and re-interpret
them in a later or earlier style without losing their inherent
identity and character. This is an important element in CJO’s
musical policy, but there are also historic arrangements and
solos which are artistically unsurpassable and this repertory
element is also present in CJO’s policy, either in the
form of direct quotation of historically important fragments,
or reduction of entire arrangements to suit CJO’s instrumentation.
It is not easy to find musicians with the necessary reading
and interpretative skills to encompass such stylistic diversity,
but the versatility and professionalism of CJO’s members
enable it cover styles from New Orleans through Chicago, Dixieland,
Swing and Bop to Hard Bop with accomplishment and conviction.
In
the first couple of years of its existence, CJO has performed
mainly in jazz clubs and festivals, but following the release
of its first CD and its enthusiastic endorsement by Humphrey
Lyttelton on his BBC Radio2 programme, there is growing interest
from theatres, Arts Centres and general music festivals. The
band's first CD, Jelly’s New Clothes, is an innovative
and fresh re-examination of some of the works of the first
great composer of jazz – Jelly Roll Morton. Indeed,
in a remarkably short period, CJO has become established as
one of the World’s leading interpreters of Morton’s
music, and while that remains the cornerstone of its repertoire,
there is also a wealth of material in its library covering
such diverse talents as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis
Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, Benny Carter, Benny
Goodman, Bob Crosby, Slide Hampton etc. Its breadth of repertoire
means that the CJO is ideally placed to present a series of
themed programmes without any repetition.
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