Eternal Interlude by John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble

"...Hollenbeck is taking the big band into the future. " — Chris Barton, LA Times

"Profound, imaginative, well-developed pieces for 20 musicians, grown out of jazz and classical music, built around soloists but never subservient to them. As a big-band jazz composer, Mr. Hollenbeck was already good; now he’s become great." — Ben Ratliff, NY Times

"John is one of the most brilliant musicians I’ve had the privilege of working with." — Meredith Monk

The John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble’s second CD eternal interlude earned a Grammy nomination as did their debut CD A Blessing. Their music is an audacious example of the power of big band jazz to express emotions well beyond swing-era clichés.

“John Hollenbeck’s 18-piece Large Ensemble can explode with rhythmic drive and technical dazzle, or it can evoke serene calm, tone poetry and even prayer. It’s a big band for a new eclectic world, building on the legacy of seminal big-band composer Bob Brookmeyer and other role models. Hollenbeck holds it together with intricate drumming, compositional acumen and searing wit as he marshals the resources of top jazz improvisers, including saxophonist Tony Malaby and vocalist, Theo Bleckmann. The ensemble is currently touring to celebrate Eternal
Interlude (nominated for a Grammy in 2009), the eagerly awaited follow-up to A Blessing (nominated for a Grammy in 2006) and Joys and Desires, a memorable side project with Europe’s Jazz Bigband Graz." — David Adler, TimeOut New York

Unlike most contemporary big bands, this is no random agglomeration of freelancers - the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble is an actual band consisting of top New York musicians. They include Ben Kono, flute, soprano and alto saxophones; Jeremy Viner, clarinet and tenor sax; Tony Malaby, tenor and soprano saxophones; Dan Willis, tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, English horn; Bohdan Hilash, baritone saxophone, bass and contrabass clarinets; Rob Hudson, Mike Christianson, and Jacob Garchik and Jeff Nelson on trombone; Jon Owens, James DelaGarza, Dave Ballou, and Laurie Frink on trumpets/flugelhorns; Kermit Driscoll, bass; John Hollenbeck, drums; Matt Mitchell, piano; Patricia Franceshy, mallet percussion; Theo Bleckmann, voice; and J.C. Sanford, conductor.

“Calling the drummer-composer John Hollenbeck a jazz musician is like referring to Thom Yorke as a mere rock and roll crooner. It seems a rather narrow description for someone with such prodigious talents and ambitions. Mr. Hollenbeck writes pieces for his large ensemble that are almost symphonic. They share a lot with the more ecstatic strains of contemporary classic music, the kind practiced by John Adams and the drummer’s longtime employer, Meredith Monk. And yet if David Binney is a jazz musician then so is Mr. Hollenbeck. They are both reinvigorating the art form with influences from the broader culture. Jazz needs more of this.” – Devin Leonard, The New York Observer


“The tour de force 19-minute title track unfolds like a shimmering vernacular symphony, merging detailed cornice work with large architectural blocks. A long meditative, pastoral episode is ornamented with wind and keyboard flurries that remind me of similar squalls in Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes.” The motifs expand, building forcefully and logically into a steady rhythm with deft bits of controlled improvisation integrated into the weave.” – Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press

Award-winning composer/
percussionist
John Hollenbeck's entire 20-year catalogue is being re-released digitally here through Flexatonic Records, a U.S. non-profit entity that was formed for his activities.

johnhollenbeck.com
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