Bill Simenson Orchestra
Big Alpaca
Bill Simenson is a talented and quite original arranger-composer who is based
in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. He started playing cornet in fourth grade, later
switching to trumpet. Other than two years spent after college in Norway where
he studied briefly with Kenny Wheeler, Simenson has lived and performed in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area throughout much of his life. He has written for big
bands during the past 20 years, has appeared in a countless number of settings
as a freelance trumpeter, and has led the Bill Simenson Orchestra since 2012.
Big Alpaca is their first recording.
Simenson wrote and arranged the dozen songs on Big Alpaca for his 13-horn
17-piece orchestra. While his utilization of soprano-saxophonist Pete Whitman
in the lead during many of the ensembles and his continually surprising
arrangements at time recall the work of Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer, his
harmonically-advanced charts are in his own style and certainly never sound
predictable.
This CD begins quietly on “Bedlamoogie” before building to an intense level in
less than two minutes during the brief opener. “The Dune” has accents from the
ensemble and an ominous feel from the rhythm section, showcasing the inventive
playing of baritonist Gus Sandberg. On “Uptick,” Whitman’s soprano flies over
the punctuations of the ensembles with his soloing sounding very much like an
outgrowth of the arrangement and vice versa.
The rhythmic figures on “New Shoes” resolve into a swinging piece with fine
solos from altoist Doug Little and trumpeter Simenson before it puts the focus
on some dramatic ensembles. “Wheelman” is a particularly intriguing piece with
drummer Dave Schmalenberger adding colorful tones and Clay Pufahl contributing
some passionate ideas on tenor.
One of the highpoints of the CD is “Steamboatin.’” The muted brass recalls
early Duke Ellington, drum breaks interact with the ensembles, there are
swinging solos from Whitman and Simenson, and the ensemble writing is
masterful. “Mastodon” musically depicts the lumbering movements of a giant (and
fortunately extinct) mammal. Trombonist Matt Hanzelka’s playing adds to the
eerie and mysterious mood. “Pete’s Waltz” starts out as a light-hearted jazz
waltz but becomes darker the longer the piece develops. “Big Alpaca” has a
stop-time figure played by bassist Chris Bates that sets the stage for solos by
trombonist Ryan Christianson and Simenson. This memorable set concludes with
the mournful ballad “Might Have Been,” the ensemble-oriented “Titanium,” and
the all-too-brief “Jerry’s Chaser (with tenor-saxophonist Scott Johnson).
Fans of modern big band writing and exciting ensembles will find much to enjoy
on Bill Simenson’s Big Alpaca. The musicians are top-notch and the writing is
world class. Highly recommended.
Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 11
books including The Great Jazz Guitarists, Bebop, and Jazz On Record 1917-76.
