Box Set of the Day - "Francy Boland: The Orchestra"

Box Set of the Day
Francy Boland: "The Orchestra" (MPS) 2008
"Most Perfect Sound Edition" series produced by Matthias Kunnecke.
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This 2-CD set comprises Boland's three albums for the MPS label - "Blue Flame", "Red Hot" and "White Heat", all recorded from January 12 to 16 at Studio Cordet, in Cologne, Germany (btw, the same studio where Arnaldo DeSouteiro produced some of the tracks for Ithamara Koorax's "Love Dance" album, released by Milestone in 2003).
Original liner notes, by Mike Hennessey, are included in the booklet.
Appearing on CD for the first time, these sessions yielded many outstanding tracks. Although the big band shines in any "mood", my personal favorite tunes are the slow and medium-tempo scores such as "Clair Obscure", "Dancing in the Dark", "Autumn in New York" and the ultra-charming score to "As Long As There Is Music".
Boland's originals are also very intriguing, specially "Daffodils", "Nargileh" and the gorgeous ballad "Hopeless", featuring great contributions by Nat Peck (trombone), Sadi (vibes), Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), Dusko Goykovich (trumpet) and Edmund Gregory, aka Sahib Shihab on baritone sax.
The leader, besides arranging & conducting, also plays piano, Fender Rhodes (it's amazing the touch of sophistication this instrument can bring to a session!) and mellophone.
Bassist Ron Matthewson and drummer Kenny Clare, the same rhythmic team heard on some of Michel Legrand's best albums from the 1970s cut at the Olympic Studios, in London, such as "Images" and "The Concert Legrand") seem to have been playing together for two centuries.
One of the best trombonists in jazz history, Frank Rosolino shines in several numbers: "All The Things You Are", "Cross Fire", "Close Your Eyes", "East of the Sun" and mainly George Shearing's "Off The Top of My Head". Two other late legends - trumpeter Benny Bailey and reedman Sal Nistico, heard on tenor sax, clarinet & flute - also display their artistries.