Having formed in 2019, the Austrian band is led by up-and-coming trumpeter Alexander Kuttler. Whilst studying Jazz at Innsbruck’s Tyrolean State Conservatory, Kuttler found (as did some fellow students) that the area was lacking an ensemble that captured the big band sound. With no other band in line to stage a resurgence of the style, the small group of music students felt compelled to fill the gap themselves. Since then, the band has continued to grow musically by performing in multiple concert series across Austria and curating their own take on the what big band music is, and can be.   

With a grand total of nineteen players, the band have only recorded one previous album: a self-released collection of well-known big band charts that evoke the traditional sound of classic bands, such as the legendary orchestra run by Duke Ellington. However, this time around, shaping the band’s sound is the highly-regarded jazz musician Florian Bramböck. The Austrian saxophonist is known for his work with jazz group the Vienna Art Orchestra, but is also well-versed in composing for a variety of groups and ensembles. Unbound by the constraints of one musical style, Bramböck has composed repertoire for both jazz and classical ensembles, as well as publishing various arrangements for woodwind. After crossing paths with Kuttler, he has since continued to perform alongside the band, sharing performances and musical insight that has helped to shape the direction of the orchestra.

Swinging Colossus is an electric mixture of live recordings from previous concerts as well as some from the studio. Regardless of the set up, each track is full of feeling and strikes a fine balance of both the traditional and the new. Bramböck’s creative approach to composition features heavily alongside the talents of composer and alto saxophone lead, Gabriel Gstrein. Between the two of them, they have crafted the eight original charts for the album. The pieces are inspired by the classic sounds of big bands gone by, but injected with a modern edge. Swinging refrains, groovy rhythms, uplifting improvisations and a hint of soul to boot - together it gives a fresh take on one of the earliest forms of jazz. 

There are plenty of highlights from the album, where pieces vary in mood and style. Gstrein’s ‘Tomorrow’ is a smooth and atmospheric piece, packed with melodic horn lines and warm harmonies. Christian Wegscheider takes a delicate and light piano solo alongside the stripped back rhythm section, before the sonorous horn lines return. Demonstrating diversity in his ability to craft new material, Gstrein’s ‘Newspaper Clippings’ starts swinging with a vintage sound and segues into a bass solo, courtesy of Darko Peranovic. Soloists take turns across the band for short breaks – in this band, no one holds the spotlight for too long – before bouncing back into the refrain and concluding with applause from the audience.

Bramböck’s composition ‘The Koatlackn Grooves’ (as the name implies) takes on a funk sound, heavy on the back beat and establishes a substantial groove. The band plays tight and together, and Bramböck and Kuttler both deliver brassy and raucous solos respectively before Peranovic returns with a spectacular electric bass solo - another example of how this orchestra goes beyond the traditional expectations of the big band sound. 

The album is certainly dynamic and bold, balanced out well by the tracks that are less energetic and more intimate. Kuttler’s intention to create a presence around big band music is in full force here, with a traditional sound meeting a variety of modern jazz influences. With the guiding hand of Florian Bramböck at the helm, Swinging Colossus is an impressive collection of new big band tunes that are designed to get you moving in the here and now, whilst casting an ear back to the swinging sounds of years past. 

Maddy Allison

from www.prestomusic.com