The New Jazz Composers Octet is an all-acoustic

jazz ensemble 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 ho ...

founded by trumpeter/arranger David Weiss in 1996. NPR's Josh Jackson described them as "part New York hustle and part writer's workshop, all of it redolent with the aroma of newness." The title track of ''The Turning Gate'' won the group a Chamber Music Association grant.

NewMusicBox ''NewMusicBox'' is an e-zine launched by the American Music Center on May 1, 1999. The magazine includes interviews and articles concerning American contemporary music, composers, improvisers, and musicians. A few interviews include renowned A ...

Staff. "CMA Announces Recipients of First-Ever Jazz Grants." October 1, 2000. http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/CMA-Announces-Recipients-of-FirstEver-Jazz-Grants/

History

After meeting some of the musicians in 1996—pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Nasheet Waits—David Weiss, who was working on arrangements for

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, decided to form a self-determining cooperative ensemble, eventually deciding on an

octet Octet may refer to: Music * Octet (music), ensemble consisting of eight instruments or voices, or composition written for such an ensemble ** String octet, a piece of music written for eight string instruments *** Octet (Mendelssohn), 1825 compos ...

, leading to a search for wind players. The first musicians added to the group were

Gregory Tardy Gregory Tardy is an American jazz saxophonist, who has released albums for the record labels SteepleChase Records, J Curve Records, and Impulse! Records.Allmusic discography/ref> As of May 2015 he is teaching at the University of Tennessee, Knoxv ...

, Myron Walden, and James Farnsworth. Farnsworth died after the release of their first recording, and the chair of baritone saxophone has been revolving — three others have filled the position since. Jimmy Greene who was a guest artist on the first album was a full member by the second, as were Steve Davis and Chris Karlic. The second album featured guest appearances by

Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Ab ...

and Joe Chambers. Their third and most recent album, ''The Turning Gate'' added

Norbert Stachel Norbert is a Germanic given name, from '' nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". Norbert is also occasionally found as a surname. People with the given name Academia * Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian * Norbert A’Campo (born 194 ...

on baritone sax.

Members

David Weiss (

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

and fluglehorn)
Myron Walden ( alto sax,

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

)
Jimmy Greene (

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

, soprano sax,

)
Steve Davis (

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

)

(

baritone sax The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

)
Xavier Davis (

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

)
Dwayne Burno (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

)
Nasheet Waits (

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

)

Past members

Andrew Williams (trombone)

Danny Grissett Danny Grissett (born 1975) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer. Early life Grissett was born in Los Angeles in 1975. He first played the piano at the age of five, taking classical music lessons. He graduated with a B.A. in M ...

(piano)

(tenor saxophone)
James Farnsworth (baritone sax)
Dave Rickenberg (baritone sax)
Chris Karlic (baritone sax)

Honorary members

(saxophone)
Joe Chambers (drums)

Discography

*''First Steps into Realty'' (

Fresh Sound New Talent Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label. The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...

, 1998) *''Walkin' the Line'' (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2003) *''The Turning Gate'' ( Motéma Music, 2008) ;with

*''

New Colors ''New Colors'' is an album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard recorded in 2000 and released on the Hip Bop Essence label in 2001. Track listing # "One of Another Kind" - 8:00 # "Blue Spirits" - 9:03 # "Blues for Miles" - 6:31 # "Dizzy's Conn ...

'' (Hip Bop, 2001) *''

On the Real Side ''On the Real Side'' is the final studio album recorded by American jazz musician Freddie Hubbard. The album was recorded in 2007 in Englewood, NJ to celebrate his 70th birthday in 2008 and released on the Times Square label in the same year as ...

'' (Times Square, 2008)

References

External links

Official siteThe New Jazz Composers Octet
at Motéma Music {{DEFAULTSORT:New Jazz Composers Octet, The American jazz ensembles from New York City Musical groups established in 1997 Motéma Music artists