Dave Slonaker Big Band - Intrada (2013)

Though rooted firmly in the tradition of big band jazz, Dave Slonaker's Los Angeles-based Big Band looks toward the future of large ensemble jazz in this set of dynamic modern original compositions and arrangements. The band features an all-star cast of jazz and studio greats including Peter Erskine, Wayne Bergeron, Clay Jenkins, Bob Shepard, and Bill Reichenbach. An arranger and orchestrator for many Hollywood composers, Slonaker has credits on dozens of films and TV shows, and his works have been performed by the Count Basie, Clark Terry, and Woody Herman Bands.

Intrada as a musical form is defined as an overture, a fanfare, and thus seemed an appropriate title for the inaugural album of the Dave Slonaker Big Band. And while it is a beginning of sorts it also a reflection on the rich traditions of big band jazz and my big band writing through the years.