The Almost Big Band was a 13 piece

jazz band A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ...

formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born in New York City, United States, and received piano lessons from the age of five.Feather, Leonard, & Ira Gitler (2 ...

and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians such as Jesper Thilo and Bent Jaedig. Mainly an

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, Wilkins created the band so he could write for a band of his own formation. In America the band remained underrated and overlooked.

Current members

* Benny Rosenfeld, lead trumpet * Mårten Lundgren, trumpet *

Gerard Presencer Gerard Presencer (born 12 September 1972) is an English jazz trumpeter. Biography Presencer showed his first interest in what was to become his chosen instrument, the trumpet, at nine. He attributes his early determination to become a trumpete ...

, trumpet * Vincent Nilsson, lead trombone * Kim Aagaard, trombone * Jan zum Vohrde, lead alto * Pernille Bévort, tenor saxophone *

Jan Harbeck Jan Harbeck (born 13 April 1975 in Aarhus, Denmark) is a Danish jazz musician (saxophones, flaute, clarinet) and composer. Biography Harbeck attended the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg to study music and later went on to further stud ...

, tenor saxophone * Jesper Løvdal, baritone sax, bandleader * Nikolaj Bentzon, piano * Jesper Lundgaard, bass *

Aage Tanggaard Aage Tanggaard (born 25 February 1957) is a Danish jazz drummer and record producer. A pupil of Michael Carvin and Ed Thigpen, he has been a member of several notable bands; including Radiojazzgruppen, Ernie Wilkins' Almost Big Band and the Hambur ...

, drums

Past members

* Jesper Thilo, tenor saxophone *

Jens Winther Jens Winther (29 October 1960 – 24 February 2011) was a Danish jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger and bandleader. He composed for and played in a long line of European big bands and other orchestras. His work includes compositions for symphon ...

, trumpet *

Erling Kroner Erling Kroner (16 April 1943 – 2 March 2011) was a Danish people, Danish trombonist and bandleader. Kroner was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, but gained music education at Berklee College of Music in Boston during 1969–70 and 1973–74, tho ...

, trombone *

Bent Jædig Bent Jædig (28 September 1935 – 9 June 2004) was a Danish jazz musician. He played tenor saxophone and flute. Born and raised in Copenhagen, Bent Jædig first studied clarinet before playing saxophone. In the 1950s, he settled in Germany and ...

tenor saxophone *

Tim Hagans Tim Hagans (born August 19, 1954) is an American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and composer. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Composition for "Box of Cannoli" on ''The Avatar Sessions'' (Fuzzy Music, 2010); Best Contem ...

, trumpeter *

, piano * Ed Thigpen, drums

Discography

* ''Ernie Wilkins & the Almost Big Band'' ( Storyville, 1980) * ''Almost Big Band Live'' (Matrix Music Marketing, 1981) * ''Montreux'' (

SteepleChase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

, 1983) * ''On the Roll'' (SteepleChase, 1984)

References

Big bands Danish jazz ensembles Musical groups established in 1980 {{authority control