I’m still struggling with my approach to big band jazz lately, and how to search for the recordings that will truly engage me. A couple of years ago I dove in head first, and perhaps drifted so deep under the surface that it all just started sounding big and dynamic and punchy–my three favorite adjectives for big band jazz–without having the substance I needed to continue the journey. In other words, about three-quarters of these contemporary performances sound the same to [...]