New Release: Shifty Paradigms from Dave Slonaker

 

 

New Release:  Shifty Paradigms from Dave Slonaker
Label:  Origin Records
Release Date:  February 20, 2026
Website:  https://daveslonaker.com

 

Bandleader, arranger and composer Dave Slonaker presents his third recording, Shifty Paradigms, expanding on his perception of big band arrangements remaining true to tradition while exploring uncharted terrain.  He composed seven of the eight arrangements on the album, highlighting his extensive influences in the field of swing and writing for large jazz ensembles.  He opens the album with “Dash Cam,” structuring the composition to mirror the diverse flow among the instruments, moving between peaceful and bustling.  On the 1925 standard “Bye Bye Blues,” written by Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, and Chauncey Gray, Slonaker weaves a jazz waltz for baritone saxophonist, Adam Schroeder, traveling into a straight-ahead up-tempo section for Ron Stout on trumpet.  The title track is a cheerful number with bubbly horns held together by a Latin groove, featuring solos by Bill Reichenbach on bass trumpet, Bob Sheppard on soprano sax, and Brian Kilgore on conga.  "Cathedrals" both soothes and kindles a vitality in the listener as trombonist Alex Iles and guitarist Andy Waddell tell an evolving story.  The album closes with “Roundabout,” an up-tempo samba that features an engaging interplay among Ron Stout's trumpet, Rob Lockart's saxophone, and Peter Erskine's drums.  Slonaker has worked in Hollywood for over thirty years and is highly regarded as one of the top arrangers and orchestrators in film and television.   His recording is a testament to his affinity for tradition and his penchant for exploring new combinations and harmonious paradigms.