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The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra is one of the Midwest’s most prominent jazz bands. Founded in 2013, the CCJO is a17-piece not-for-profit ensemble dedicated to performing, preserving and teaching jazz as a living art form. Over the years, they have presented big band arrangements of works by Ellington, Mingus, Stevie Wonder, Prince and others. After three full holiday season performances of their take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the CCJO is now releasing “The Nutcracker Remix”—a 12-track album featuring nine reimagined tracks from the suite, originated as the brainchild of former director Rob Parton, who was inspired by Duke Ellington’s classic 1960 album.
Acclaimed trombonist, composer and arranger Wycliffe Gordon captures the joy and fun of the holiday season brought to life with “Holiday Fun,” made with some of his closest friends he’s worked with on the bandstand throughout his career and those from his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. The songs were primarily selected and arranged for a 2009 holiday show, “Red Hot Holiday Stomp,” to feature every musician’s contribution to the spirit of the holiday season, and while the musicians are different, the spirit is the same.
Also new this week, “Holly Tunes” delivers a joyful new holiday collection from Colorado Springs-based guitarist Wayne Wilkinson; “Swinging in the Holidays” features a program of seasonal favorites performed by the Champian Fulton Trio, Anais Reno, Benny Benack and others; and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s “Christmas Interlude” celebrates the spirit of the season with soulful and vintage sounds.