The Danish Radio Big Band (aka DR Big Band), often referred to as the Radioens Big Band is a radio ensemble and

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

founded in Copenhagen in 1964 at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR).

Band history

Originally called the New Radio Dance Orchestra, in the early years the band was led by

Ib Glindemann Ib Niels Carl Glindemann Nielsen (September 27, 1934 – April 5, 2019) was a Danish ethnic group, Danish jazz musician and the leader of the Ib Glindemann Orchestra (a big band modeled after the Stan Kenton Orchestra). Saxophonist Stan Getz frequ ...

. But over the next few decades many new faces joined, such as Chris Potter,

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombone, valve trombonist, Jazz piano, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public ...

Jim McNeely Jim McNeely (born May 18, 1949) is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and faculty. Biography Jim McNeely was born in Chicago, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Illinois, and moved to New York City in 1975. ...

, and guest soloists like

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

, and

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

. The band is one of the premiere large jazz ensembles in Denmark, the Danish Radio Big Band (aka DR Big Band) is a dynamic ensemble with a sophisticated approach to post-bop jazz and swing. Although a spotlight organization in their own right with a roster of top Danish musicians, they have built a strong reputation for their many collaborations and recordings with world-renowned jazz soloists. Founded as the New Radio Dance Orchestra in 1964 by bandleader Ib Glindemann, the DR Big Band was initially an outgrowth of the then-Danish Broadcasting Corporation Danmarks Radio's desire to represent jazz in the country and over the airwaves. Since 2009, the band has been based out of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's Copenhagen complex DR Byen, or "DR City," along with several other nationally funded arts ensembles. As a recording outfit, the DR Big Band debuted in 1970 with Brownsville Trolley, which featured the band led by saxophonist/composer Ray Pitts and trumpeter

Palle Mikkelborg Palle Mikkelborg (born 6 March 1941) is a Danish jazz trumpet player, composer, arranger and record producer. He is self-taught on the trumpet, although he studied conducting at the Royal Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. He became a professio ...

. However, the band's output increased throughout the decade under the leadership of famed trumpeter

, who had relocated to Copenhagen. During this period, they delivered such well-regarded albums as 1978's By Jones, ''I think we've got it'', and 1979's ''A good time was had by all''. There were also numerous live performances during the band's first three decades, including dates with such luminaries as

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though ...

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

Jimmy Heath James Edward Heath (October 25, 1926 – January 19, 2020), nicknamed Little Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, and big band leader. He was the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath. Biography Heath w ...

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 ...

, and many more. More albums followed in the '90s and found the band starting to showcase artists like saxophonist and guest conductor

Ernie Wilkins Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. (July 20, 1922 – June 5, 1999) was an American jazz saxophonist, conductor and arranger who spent several years with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie. He was musical direct ...

(Suite for Jazz Band) and Danish saxophonist

Jesper Thilo Jesper Thilo (born 28 November 1941) is a Danish jazz musician, mainly known as a tenor saxophonist, alto saxophonist and clarinetist. He is considered to be one of the top European straight-ahead jazz musicians of the post-1970 period. Ben ...

. They also released albums paying homage to the music of Jones and

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

. This trend of showcasing an artist and their work continued over the next decade as the band played with such luminaries as Thomas Clausen,

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

Renee Rosnes Irene Louise Rosnes (born 24 March 1962), known professionally as Renee Rosnes ( ), is a Canadian jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Rosnes was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, and grew up in North Vancouver, British Columbia. She ...

, Eivor Palsdottir,

, and others. In 2009, they paired with longtime Wynton Marsalis drummer

Jeff "Tain" Watts Jeff "Tain" Watts (born January 20, 1960) is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Michael Brecker, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, and others. Biography Watts got the nickname "Tain" ...

for Impaler, followed a year later by Chromazone with guitarist

Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, re ...

. Similarly, trumpeter

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...

was the focus of 2011's The Jazz Ballad Song Book. Also that year, lauded saxophonist Chris Potter joined the group for Transatlantic. More albums followed, including works with

Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a ...

Vincent Nilsson Vincent Nilsson is a Swedish jazz trombonist and arranger. Biography Nilsson played in the orchestra on the Miles Davis recording '' Aura'' in 1985. Nilsson recorded ''Jazz Trombone Spirituals'' for Storyville Records in 1998. On the album, he u ...

, and the band's own trumpeter

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 the age of nine. He attributes his early determination to becom ...

(Groove Travels). Vocalist

Curtis Stigers Curtis Stigers (born October 18, 1965) is an American jazz singer. He achieved a number of hits in the early 1990s, most notably the international hit " I Wonder Why" (1991), which reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 9 in the US. Career S ...

collaborated with the ensemble for his 2017 Frank Sinatra salute One More for the Road. That same year, they delivered the live album

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

Meets the Danish Radio Big Band, which showcased a 2010 performance with the iconic Rolling Stones drummer.

Band

Members Trumpet: * Dave Vreuls * Ari Bragi Karason * Thomas Kjærgaard * Mads La Cour * Gidon Nunes Vaz Trombone: * Peter Dahlgren * Petter Hängsel * Annette Saxe * Gustaf Wiklund * Jakob Munck Mortensen Saxophone: * Peter Fuglsang * Nicolai Schultz * Hans Ulrik * Karl-Martin Almqvist * Anders Gårdmand Rhythm group: * Søren Frost (dr) * Kaspar Vadsholt (b) * Henrik Gunde (p) * Per Gade (g)

Former members

Saxophone: *

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

(1966–1989) * Per Carsten Trumpet: * Benny Rosenfeld * Palle Bolvig *

Idrees Sulieman Idrees Sulieman, born Leonard Graham (August 7, 1923 – July 23, 2002), was an American bop and hard bop trumpeter. Biography Graham was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, later changing his name to Idrees Sulieman, after conve ...

* Jens Winther (1982–1989) * Thomas Fryland (1998–2005) * Henrik Bolberg *

Trombone: *

Erling Kroner Erling Kroner (16 April 1943 – 2 March 2011) was a Danish jazz 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, though he pl ...

* Richard B. Boone *

Bass: *

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (; 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son o ...

Bo Stief Bo Stief (born 15 October 1946) is a Danish jazz and rock bassist, composer, and arranger born in Copenhagen. He has worked or recorded with Don Cherry, Miles Davis, Warne Marsh, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Jackie ...

Mads Vinding Mads Vinding (born 7 December 1948, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish jazz double-bassist. Music career Vinding began his professional career when he was 16 as the house bassist for Jazzhus Montmartre, a jazz club in Copenhagen. He has played ...

Jesper Lundgaard Jesper Lundgaard (born 12 June 1954) is a Danish jazz bassist, bandleader, composer and record producer. Since his debut in the mid-1970s, he has been among the most prominent bassists in Danish jazz and as a sideman he has appeared on more th ...

(1989–1991) Drums: * Bjarne Rostvold (?–1978) * Lennart Gruvstedt (1978–?)

Chief conductors

(1964–1968) * Various guest conductors, including

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...

, Frank Foster, Robert Cornford,

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...

, Michael Gibbs and

Mike Westbrook Michael John David Westbrook (born 21 March 1936) is an English jazz pianist, composer, and writer of orchestrated jazz pieces. He is married to the vocalist, librettist and painter Kate Westbrook. Early work Mike Westbrook was born in Hig ...

* (1971–1973) *

(1976–1977 & 1981–1982) *

(1977–1978) * (1986–1995) *

(1996–1997) *

(1998–2002) *

Miho Hazama is a Tokyo-born composer and jazz musician, based in New York City. Early life and career Miho Hazama started to play electric keyboard at the age of three at Yamaha Music Foundation's School, and received attention when she proceeded to the fi ...

(2019– present)

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* ''Brownsville Trolley Line'' (

Sonet Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) are standardized protocols that transfer multiple digital bit streams synchronously over optical fiber using lasers or highly coherent light from light-emitting diodes ...

, 1970) – rec. 1969. conducted by Ray Pitts and

. * ''By Jones, I think we've got it'' (

Metronome A metronome () is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a uniform interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes may also include synchronized visual motion, such as a swinging pendulum ...

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

, 1978) – recorded live at

Jazzhus Montmartre Jazzhus Montmartre is a jazz club in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Many jazz musicians, including Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, and Chet Baker, have performed there. It is sometimes called Cafe Montmartre. The Montmartre was located first in Dahler ...

, Copenhagen. conducted by

. * ''A good time was had by all'' (

/Storyville, 1979) – recorded live at Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen in 1978. conducted by Thad Jones. * ''Crackdown: First U.K. Tour'' (Hep, 1988) – recorded live at Glasgow and York in 1987 * ''Nordjazz Big 5'' (Odin, 1991) – conducted by Ole Koch Hansen * ''Suite for Jazz Band'' with guest conductor

(Hep, 1992) – rec. 1991 * ''Ambiance'' with

(Dacapo, 1994) – rec. 1993 * ''A Little Bit of Duke'' featuring

(Dacapo, 1995) – rec. 1994. compositions of

. * ''Danish Radio Big Band Plays Thad Jones'' (Dacapo, 1996) – rec. 1994. compositions of Thad Jones. * ''This Train'' (Dacapo, 1997) * ''Ways of Seeing'' (Storyville, 1999) – rec. 1997 * ''Nice Work'' with

(Dacapo, 2000) – rec. 1998 * ''The Power and the Glory: A salute to Louis Armstrong'' with Jim McNeely featuring Leroy Jones ( Storyville, 2001) – compositions of

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

* ''Renee Rosnes and the Danish Radio Big Band'' with

(

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 2003) – rec. 2001. conducted by Jim McNeely. * ''Lady Be Good'' with Etta Cameron (Content/DR/CMC, 2004) – rec. 2003. conducted by Nikolaj Bentzon. * ''Cuban Flavour'' (Cope, 2004) * ''Trøllabundin'' with

Eivør Pálsdóttir Eivor, Eivør or Øyvor is a female given name in the Nordic countries. In Sweden, 4,922 people bear the name. The average age is 78. The name perhaps originated from either the Proto-Norse word ''auja'', which is thought to mean "good luck", o ...

(Cope, 2005) – rec. 2004–05. conducted by Jesper Riis. * ''Dansk Stereo'' (Cope, 2005) * ''Dedication Suite'' with

(Cape, 2006) – rec. 2002 * ''The James Bond Classics'' featuring Szhirley (EMI/Red Dot, 2008) * ''Jazz Divas of Scandinavia'' with Caecilie Norby,

Silje Nergaard Silje Nergaard (born 19 June 1966) is a Norwegian jazz vocalist and songwriter. She is one of the best-selling jazz artists on the official sales chart in Norway. She became known worldwide after the release of the international bestseller ''Tel ...

, Rigmor Gustafsson (Red Dot, 2009) * ''Cirkus Summarum'' (EMI/Red Dot, 2009) * ''Merry Christmas, Baby'' with

Sinne Eeg Sinne Eeg (born 1 September 1977 in Lemvig, Denmark) is a Danish language, Danish jazz vocalist and composer. Eeg has received a number of recognitions and positive reviews both nationally and internationally, and is considered among the best fe ...

, Bobo Moreno (EMI/Red Dot, 2009) * ''Impressions of a West Side Story'' (EMI/Red Dot, 2009) * ''The Music of Jacob Gade'' (EMI/Red Dot, 2009) – compositions of

Jacob Gade Jacob Thune Hansen Gade (29 November 1879 – 20 February 1963) was a Danish violinist and composer, mostly of orchestral popular music. He is remembered today for a single tune, ''Jalousie'' (also known as ''Jalousie "Tango Tzigane" '' and ''T ...

* ''The Impaler'' featuring

(Red Dot, 2010) – rec. 2009 * ''The Phoenix'' with

Vince Mendoza Vince Mendoza (born November 17, 1961) is an American composer, music arranger and conductor. He debuted as a solo artist in 1989, and is known for his work conducting the Metropole Orkest and WDR Big Band Köln, as well as arranging music f ...

(Red Dot, 2010) * ''Cirkus Summarum 2010'' (EMI/Red Dot, 2010) * ''Chromazone'' featuring

(Red Dot, 2010) * ''Play Bill Evans'' with Jim McNeely (Stunt, 2012) – compositions of

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

. rec. 2000. * ''The Danish Radio Jazz Group With Bent Jædig – 1964 - 1966'' (Jazzhus Disk, 2012) * ''Spirituals'' (Storyville, 2014) – conducted by

* ''Jazzin' Around Christmas'' (Storyville, 2016) – conducted by

Dennis Mackrel Dennis Mackrel (born April 3, 1962) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and arranger who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Career The son of two jazz enthusiasts, Mackrel started playing drums at ag ...

* ''At the Heart of a Selkie'' with Eivør, Peter Jensen (Tutl, 2016) – also with the Danish National Vocal Ensemble *

featuring DR Big Band, ''Groove Travels'' ( Edition, 2016) – rec. 2015 * ''Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band'' with

( Impulse!, 2017) – rec. 2010 * ''The Beast'' with Mathias Heise (Giant Sheep Music, 2018) * ''Light Through Leaves'' with Peter Jensen, Morten Büchert (ILK Music, 2021) *

featuring DR Big Band, ''Imaginary Visions'' (Edition, 2021) * ''Tale of Time'' with Annisette (South Harbour, 2022) – rec. 2020

As guest

Bengt-Arne Wallin Bengt-Arne Wallin (13 July 1926 – 23 November 2015) was a Swedish jazz composer, arranger, trumpeter, and flugelhorn player who played jazz influenced by Swedish traditional folk music. He also wrote film scores. Biography Wallin was born in ...

, ''The Unexpected Symphony'' (Sonet, 1979) – rec. 1977 *

, ''Talk of the Town'' (Olufsen, 1992) – rec. 1988 *

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only B ...

, ''Endangered Species'' (Music Mecca, 1993) *

Marie Bergman Marie Bergman (born 21 November 1950) is a Swedish singer. Between 1969 and 1972, she was a member in the pop group Family Four, which represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 and 1972. She started her solo career in 1974. Sh ...

, ''But Beautiful'' (Stunt, 1994) – conducted by Ole Kock Hansen *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias (born 19 March 1960) is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Biography Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing ...

, ''

Impulsive! ''Impulsive!'' is a studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. The album was recorded with Bob Brookmeyer and The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra and released in 1997 via Stunt Records label. All six compositions are written by Elias, and ...

'' (Stunt, 1997) – conducted by

* Sigurd Barrett, ''Live'' (My Way Music, 2007) – conducted by Nikolaj Bentzon * Chris Potter, ''Transatlantic'' (Red Dot, 2011) – rec. 2010 *

, ''The Jazz Ballad Song Book'' (Red Dot, 2011) – also with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra *

, ''Te Mesia'' (Red Dot, 2011) – conducted by Jesper Riis * Siobhan Lamb, ''The Nightingale and the Rose'' (Proprius, 2012) – also with Danish National Vocal Ensemble *

, ''One More for the Road'' (Concord Jazz, 2017) – rec. 2014 *

Judy Niemack Judy Niemack (born March 11, 1954) is an American jazz vocalist. Early life Judy Niemack was born in Pasadena, California to a musical family. She began singing in a church choir from the age of seven.Judy Niemack biography at All About Jazz ...

& Jim McNeely, ''New York Stories'' (Sunnyside, 2018) – rec. 2013 *

Marius Neset Marius Søfteland Neset (born 2 January 1985) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone) living in Copenhagen. He is known from collaborations within the jazz bands "People Are Machines", "Kaktusch", " JazzKamikaze" and Django Bates projects "Sto ...

, ''Tributes'' (

ACT Music ACT is a German record label founded in 1992 by Siegfried Loch. It is a division of ACT Music + Vision founded by Loch and Annette Humpe in 1988. ACT started as a pop music label but folded soon after it started. Loch turned it into a jazz labe ...

, 2020) *

, ''We've Just Begun'' (Stunt, 2020)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Big bands Danish jazz ensembles Musical groups established in 1964 Radio and television house bands Edition Records artists Hep Records artists Storyville Records artists DR (broadcaster)