National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Nyjo Fifty (2015) [Hi-Res]

NYJO FIFTY' celebrates the 50th anniversary of a British institution, The National Youth Jazz Orchestra. The album reflects the wide range in repertoire, style and musical colours for which NYJO has become known, with a look at new repertoire and some of the band's past favourites to celebrate 50 years as the UK's premier youth big band.

A double-disc album, the band's contemporary material makes up Disc 1 with more traditional material on Disc 2. The album features special guest soloists in Mark Nightingale (trombone) and Gareth Lockrane (flute). Mark's "He's Just My Bill" has been a stalwart, and as yet unrecorded, selection in NYJO's live concerts for many years. Gareth is featured on the Yellowjackets' number "Rush Hour". The album also features saxophonist Julian Siegel and his "Mama Badgers", while guest pianist Zoe Rahman's "Red Squirrel" gets a reworking from its original piano-trio version into a full-scale big band arrangement by NYJO Artistic & Music Director Mark Armstrong.

Since 2010 NYJO has commissioned new music from leading UK jazz composers. Some of this was featured on their 2012 release The Change and this time includes "Wintermute" by Kit Downes, "No Man Is An Island" by Laura Jurd and "Sub Hub Hubbub" by Jason Yarde. The album also remembers the great Stan Tracey in ex-NYJO pianist Steve Melling's arrangement of "Ballad for Loos", taken from Stan's final release The Flying Pig.

NYJO is one of Britain's longest-running ensembles for young people under 25 playing big-band jazz. Founded by Bill Ashton OBE in 1965, the orchestra offered aspiring young musicians the opportunity to rehearse, write and gain experience in live performance at a time when UK jazz education was in its infancy. NYJO features 23 musicians and vocalists from around the country, most of whom go on to become professional musicians. Alumni include Guy Barker, Mark Nightingale, Gerard Presencer, Pete Long, Dennis and Winston Rollins and Amy Winehouse.

Tracklist:
1.01 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Mama Badgers (feat. David Dyson, Julian Siegel, Owen Dawson & Rob Luft) (9:31)
1.02 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Dreams (feat. James Copus) (5:32)
1.03 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Wintermute (feat. David Healey & Tom Dunnett) (6:45)
1.04 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Rush Hour (feat. David Healey, Gareth Lockrane & Rob Luft) (7:11)
1.05 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Sea Master (feat. David Healey & Tom Dennis) (8:17)
1.06 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Sub Hub Hubbub (feat. David Dyson, Joe Downard, Owen Dawson, Rupert Cox & Sam Glaser) (9:07)
1.07 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - No Pão De Açúcar (feat. James Copus & Rob Luft) (9:40)
1.08 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Red Squirrel (feat. Sam Glaser & Zoe Rahman) (8:29)
1.09 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - No Man Is an Island (feat. Jessica Radcliffe & Tom Ridout) (8:11)
2.10 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - St. Louis Blues (feat. David Dyson, Jim Gold & Tom Gardner) (6:12)
2.11 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - He's Just My Bill (feat. Mark Nightingale) (7:28)
2.12 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Ballad for Loos (feat. Alistair Martin, Jim Gold, Rubert Cox & Tom Ridout) (6:35)
2.13 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Lullaby of Broadway (feat. Alistair Martin & Jessica Radcliffe) (5:24)
2.14 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - My Romance (feat. Alistair Martin & Jessica Radcliffe) (4:05)
2.15 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Never the Twain (feat. Jim Gold, Rupert Cox & Sam Glaser) (6:43)
2.16 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life? (feat. David Healey & Jessica Radcliffe) (5:33)
2.17 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - A Foggy Day (feat. Sam Glaser) (7:14)
2.18 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Going Dutch (feat. David Dyson, David Healey & Tom Ridout) (5:49)
2.19 - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Finding My Feet (feat. David Healey & Jessica Radcliffe) (5:10)