Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass - The Jazz Album (1996)

Rob McConnell's Boss Brass began as a big band comprised of trumpets, trombones, French horns, and an expanded rhythm section that played commercial music for Canadian radio transcriptions. In 1972, arranger/valve trombonist McConnell added a sax section for the first time, and with this 1976 set (originally released by the Canadian Attic label), he finally began to use the orchestra for jazz charts. McConnell and his 22-piece orchestra perform three of his originals, plus "Portrait of Jenny" (a feature for flugelhornist Guido Basso) and "Body and Soul," which showcases guitarist Ed Bickert. Among the other key players are trumpeter Sam Noto and tenorman Eugene Amaro. Excellent big band music.