Experiment in Progressive Jazz
Sadly, few today have heard of Boyd Raeburn. What Debussy was to Ellington and Wagner was to Kenton, Stravinski was to Raeburn. Attempting to meld jazz with the classical sounds of Igor Stravinski, Raeburn fronted a big band in the swing era that just never "caught on." His style was different and his sounds were too dissonant to attract dancers. His music was most inventive; he hired great arrangers and his sidemen, almost to the man, went on to make names for themselves in other venues. Most notable, yet absent from the credits, is altoist Johnny Bothwell. Raeburn continued to front a band into the 50's, but by then he had abandoned his earlier sound, choosing to go more commercial, and he faded into obscurity. This series of cuts reflects to diversity of the Raeburn book. Check it out!
