disc

Big Band vol. 1

The Changes Music - 2025

25

The 5th album as a leader by Barcelona saxophonist Lluc Casares is his first in Big Band format. It represents the self-confirmation of his connection with the orchestral jazz format par excellence, after years of writing for different ensembles (over 30 arrangements for the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra, Barcelona Art Orchestra, The Gramophone Allstars Big Band, Girona Jazz Project, Big Band Jazz Canarias, ESEM - Taller de Músics Big Band, and others).

Lluc has been fortunate to count on some of the finest musicians from the scene for this project — long-time collaborators and friends. One of them deserves special mention: Oriol Vallès, who contributed an original piece for this album, Ostinato. The rest of the repertoire comes from Lluc’s pen: two original compositions and three arrangements of music by Thelonious Monk, Cedar Walton, and John Coltrane.
The Big Band lineup is “Ellingtonian” in the sense that there is no guitar and only three trombones (no bass trombone), just like my mentor and reference Wynton Marsalis uses in his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

This album is also Lluc’s first release on vinyl. The cover photo is by Manuel Albir, illustrations by Pedro Strukelj, and design by Joan Casares. The Big Band photo is by Txus Costalago. 

Tracks

Off Minor (07:35)

Back to Babylonn (06:03)

Simple Pleasure (05:30)

Ostinato (05:39)

Naima (06:17)

S'Escat (07:41)

Gabriel Amargant (Saxo Alto, Saxo Soprano, Clarinet, Flauta)
Hector Floría (Saxo Alto, Flauta)
Lluc Casares (Saxo Tenor, Clarinet, Flauta)
Pau Vidal aka Tarquim (Saxo Tenor, Flauta, Piccolo)
Jordi Santanch (Saxo Baríton)

Joan Mar Sauqué (Trompeta, lead)
Raul Gallego (Trompeta)
Pol Omedes (Trompeta)
Oriol Vallès (Trompeta, compositor #4)

Pablo Martín (Trombó)
Albert Costa (Trombó)
Alba Pujals (Trombó)

Guillaume Coulbois (Piano)
David Muñoz (Contrabaix)
Joan Casares (Bateria)

recorded by Oriol Bacardit at Nova Jazz Cava (Terrassa)
edited by Dani Val
edited, mixed and mastered by Jan Valls
video by Txus Costalago

Off Minor by Thelonious Monk, Simple Pleasure by Cedar Walton, Naima by John Coltrane, Ostinato by Oriol Vallès. Back To Babylon, S'Escat by Lluc Casares. All arrangements by Lluc Casares except Ostinato by Oriol Vallès.