Barcelona Jazz Orquestra

Barcelona’s got a Big Band!

Barcelona Jazz Orquesta, photo

The Barcelona Jazz Orquestra is the city of Barcelona’s first permanent big band. It was created in the autumn of 1996 at Taller de Músics de Barcelona (Barcelona’s Musicians’ Workshop), with the aim of making jazz accessible to all kinds of audiences, combining technical virtuosity with the intimate atmosphere that is the essence of true jazz.

The BJO brings together tradition and innovation, since it also dedicates itself to all the modern trends that are renewing the spirit of jazz, offering both the classic repertoire of legendary figures like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thad Jones, and Dizzy Gillespie and pieces by contemporary composers and arrangers.

The orchestra includes among its members some of the best-known musicians in the city, as well as famous names from further afield, such as the pianist Ignasi Terraza, saxophonists Víctor de Diego and Xavi Figuerola, and the brilliant Parisian drummer Jean-Pierre Derouard.

The ensemble is under the musical direction of the young trombonist Dani Alonso, who brings his own special qualities of vitality and energy to the task of continuing the work begun by the orchestra’s founder and former director, Oriol Bordas.

The Barcelona Jazz Orquestra was created in the autumn of 1996 at Barcelona’s Taller de Músics (Musicians’ Workshop). The project, founded and initially directed by the prestigious vibraphonist Oriol Bordas, has always aspired from its earliest days to become the first permanent big band in the city of Barcelona.

Both under its original name as the Barcelona Swing Orquestra - Taller de Músics Big Band and later in its now definitive guise as the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra, it gave over 150 concerts throughout Catalonia and all over Spain during the period up to the year 2000.

During this time it performed on the music circuits organized by the Barcelona Provincial Council, in theatres and local town and village festivals, as well as participating in prestigious jazz festivals, such as those of Terrassa, San Sebastian, Minorca, Sitges and Cap Roig.

During the course of 1999, the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra performed once a week on a regular basis at the “Sala Apolo” in collaboration with various lindy hop associations from the city of Barcelona, holding “Swing Dances”, highly original events which were greeted with great enthusiasm by both the public and the press.
It also went on a number of tours, accompanied by leading figures from the international jazz scene, including musicians of the calibre of Frank Wess, a former member of Count Basie’s orchestra, and Jesse Davis, a young saxophonist of great renown.

Musicians of the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra

Saxs
Victor de Diego
Juli Aymí
Pep Pascual
Xavier Figuerola
Joan Chamorro

Trumpets
Matthew Simon
Alberto Pérez
Dennis Hernández
Ivo Oller

Trombons
Dani Alonso
Jordi Giménez
Josep Tutusaus
Sergi Verges

Piano: Ignasi Terraza
Double-bass: Manel Álvarez
Drums: Jean Pierre Derouard
Voice: Susana Sheiman

{Vídeo Barcelona Jazz Orchestra + Nicholas Payton}
{Vídeo Barcelona Jazz Orchestra + Frank Wess + Susana Sheiman}

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