Bigbandjazz.Net

Mike Vax (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 4, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Summit(Classical)
• ASIN: B000067AT4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,802 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No description available.
Genre: Jazz Music
Rating:
Release Date: 0000-00-00
Media Type: Compact Disk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Fine Modern Big Band Jazz, September 16, 2002

By 

John Tapscott (Canada) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bigbandjazz.Net (Audio CD)

This is a very well recorded and well played CD of modern, hard-swinging big band jazz. The orchestra is led by Mike Vax, who was Stan Kenton's lead trumpet player in the early '70's, and has been active since then as a band leader, clinician, and jazz soloist. Vax clearly knows what it takes to make big band jazz tick and he puts it all together on this very fine CD. The musicians are from the Bay Area of California and Vax has brought them together in a band which sounds tight and well rehearsed.

The groove is mainly hardswinging and straight-ahead, which is fine by me, but there are some Latin and contemporary grooves as well which gives the CD plenty of variety. The fine vocalist Cami Thompson appears on two tracks and adds further variety to this 72 minute CD. I am not a huge fan of vocalists with a big band, but I have to say that I enjoy Thompson's contributions to this CD.

Vax himself is the main soloist on trumpet and flugelhorn and he is outstanding on "Love Theme from Hair", "La Virgen de Macarena" and Lennie Niehaus' swinging "Vax Attacks." Other fine soloists include saxophonist Scott Peterson, trombonist Peggy Vax, trumpeter Mike Olmos, and guitarist Randy Vincent. By my count, 16 different soloists are featured to good advantage.

Ten different arrangers contribute to the CD and my only slight critcism is that the charts, while very challenging, are, in some cases, not particularly original. There is one chart taken directly from the Kenton band book and another from Count Basie's, which are most welcome. But as veteran big band fans listen to the other charts, they may find themselves thinking -- I've heard something like that before - where was it - McConnell, Kenton, Rich, Ferguson?

Overall however, this is a CD that will be much appreciated and enjoyed by fans of Big Band Jazz, including many student musicians. I have played this CD as much as any I've bought in 2002. Warmly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mike Vax Big Band, April 6, 2009

By 

Dean R. Canty (Edinburg, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bigbandjazz.Net (Audio CD)

This product is an excellent performance by some of the best in the
big band business. Excellent playing, solos and arrangements.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Big Band jazz, December 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Bigbandjazz.Net (Audio CD)

A tremendous contribution to the Big Band jazz tradition, this CD proves that the genre is still vibrant and meaningful for today's musicians and audiences. Two thumbs up - outstandingly tight performances all the way around.