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Don't miss this evening of world-class big band music at Studenterhuset!

THAD JONES 100 – NORDKRAFT BIG BAND & REMY LE BOEUF (USA)

On 28 March 2023, it will be 100 years since the birth of one of the greatest artists in big band history in recent times, the legendary musician, arranger, composer and big band leader, Thad Jones. On this occasion, Nordkraft Big Band and chief conductor Remy Le Boeuf will pay tribute to Thad Jones' amazing music.

Thad Jones was till 1963 a musician and arranger in the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, just like he during the 60's was a member of Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, where he initiated a partnership with his old musician friend, the drummer Mel Lewis. Together these two capacities formed in 1965 af co-leadership of the legendary The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. The orchestra consisted of the wvery best musicians from the New York jazz scene, and the tradition of their Monday Night Big Band at New York's oldest jazz club, the Village Vanguard has since become a legendary tradition that continues to be upheld by The Vanguard Orchestra.

Thad Jones had huge respect for the old masters and traditions, and his arrangement technique was built on these while Thad Jones took it into a new era. An era of different instrument combinations and harmonic compositions, and in doing so he set new standards in the big band genre. Thad Jones, by virtue of his work as composer, arranger and big band leader, was the big band alchemist of his day, the alchemist removing the impurities until eventually only pure gold remains.

In Denmark, too, Thad Jones has had a tremendous influence on big band music. In 1976, he joined the Danish Radio Big Band as its chief conductor and inspiration. Together they embarked on a wonderful journey that developed the big band into one of the world's best. A status the orchestra still holds. Likewise, Thad Jones' work in Denmark helped make the country, and Copenhagen in particular, oneo fhte world's most attractive and vibrant jazz capitals, for a host of jazz luminaries of the day. Thad Jones himself became very fondo f Denmark and Danes in general, which is why he settled in Copenhagen until his death on 20 August 1986, and is now buried at Vestre Kirkegaard in Copenhagen.

It is therefore with a certain sense of awe and humility that Nordkraft Big Band's newly appointed principal conductor, Remy Le Boeuf (USA), and Nordkraft Big Band, go about this task. Remy Le Boeuf, who has been nominated several times for the American Grammy Award for his compositions, will give his take on new interpretations of Thad Jones' immortal music at the concert. Arrangements made especially for Nordkraft Big Band, for this particular tribute. In addition to Thad Jones' original music, the concert will also feature a special tribute to the master himself, as Remy Le Boeuf has composed a work especially for the occasion for Nordkraft Big Band, drawing on Thad Jones' musical ideas and work.

Participants: Nordkraft Big Band and principal conductor/soloist Remy Le Boeuf (USA).

NORDKRAFT BIG BAND Nordkraft Big Band is all of Denmark's North Jutland big band, which in recent years has distinguished itself as a very active, visionary and serious ensemble in rhythmic music, and enjoys wide recognition nationally and internationally for releases and concerts.

The big band has most recently released the records ”We Love Being Here With You” in collaboration with the big band's former artistic director John Clayton, and ”Døgnscenerier” (Daytime scenes), a concert suite by and with Nikolaj Bentzon. Two releases that receive high praise and both have continuous airplay on DR P8 Jazz. In spring 2022, the big band's latest work ”Avannaata Pissaanera” (The Power of the North) was released - an exciting collaboration across Greenland and Denmark.

In 2023, Nordkraft Big Band can present the young American Remy Le Boeuf as the new chief conductor. He will be associated for a two-year period and help develop the big band's further musical direction.

REMY LE BOEUF Remy Le Boeuf is a saxophonist and composer who originally comes from a classical background, but has since cultivated the worlds of jazz. His music is rooted in the jazz tradition, but also infiltrates the realms of modern classical music and indie rock.

With his debut release for jazz orchestra, Assembly of Shadows (2019), Le Boeuf marked himself as a unique voice with a penchant for cinematic, majestic and melody-driven themes. Hailed by the New York Times for the "stuning beauty" of his music, he quickly earned two Grammy nominations the following year for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Arrangement. In 2021, he released a complementary follow-up, Architecture of Storms (2021), which showcases his acrobatic saxophone playing while exploring the diversity of his emotions and influences.

————————————— The concert is part of Nordkraft Big Band's Big Band Night project, where we focus on presenting jazz and big band music to young people in particular, and in the long term building and securing an audience for the genre in the future. The Big Band Night concerts are supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, Spar Nord Fonden and Aalborg Municipality.