Album Review: Always Forward from Marshall Gilkes WDR Big Band
Album Review: Always Forward from Marshall Gilkes WDR Big Band Label: Alternate Side Records Website: www.marshallgilkes.com www.alternatesiderecords.com Always Forward from trombonist-composer-arranger Marshall Gilkes highlights the glamor and companionship found in big band ensembles. Merging traditional swing with modern concepts, Gilkes brings big band music into the 21st century. He re-imagines jazz standards, articulating the voices of the instruments from new angles, developing the interludes and elaborating on the counter-dialogues. His own wails are sharp and malleable, moving between being in the forefront and being part of the backdrop as other instruments take centerstage. When other bandleaders aim for order, Gilkes creates a bit of chaos as instruments enter and leave in sporadic waves. Always thinking about where else the music ca...