333maxwell - Big Band

Hear The Track Here

Anyone who has been on Soundclick's forums over the past two or three years will be well aware of Chas Holman (aka333maxwell). They will also be aware that this is no one trick pony, 333maxwell has straddled more genres than you can shake a stick at and very successfully too. Out of all the areas of music he wanders into, my own particular favourites are his period jazz compositions which is why Post War Dreaming (September 2008) and After Hours (November 2008) still rate as my most played 333maxwell tracks. The man definitely has a touch and feel for the genre and as much as I like the more modern stuff, this is what I would choose every time.

Big Band gives the whole game away, except of course it's all smoke and VST mirrors. Chas calls it 'a one man band experiment' He played all the horn parts except for trumpet, and obviously supplied the usual backline of bass, drums etc. If you have heard any of Max's work, you'll know the standard he brings to the party, this isn't a slap dash musician. As he says, nailing a simple bass line in one take and getting it just right is an extremely difficult thing to do. As if that weren't enough, THEN you add in getting the period detail right. On that score, I have to say that the drum and brush work were right on the money.

Funny that for a rock animal like myself, I also enjoy the whole big band thing and have grown to love the sound of wind instruments, particularly horns, clarinets and saxes; all of which get a look in on this excellent excursion into the world of big band swing. I feel I have to highlight my favourite instrument in the track is the lead clarinet in the middle of the track, splendid tone and wonderfully played that man. So while the whole massed 333maxwell take a well deserved curtain call, let me just issue one small caveat. Obviously big band swing jazz isn't every one's flavour of the month but if you want to hear what something akin to what those bands sounded like live - Big Band gets awfully close.

MUST HAVE swing jazz oh yeah halleluyah!