Composer/arranger Chris Walden released three excellent efforts with this unit in the mid-‘00s. Then came a seven-year break where his taut arrangements supported Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Michael Bolton, and other stars. Here, he and the band take center stage again, roaring through a set of five originals and putting his tightly choreographed stamp on a wide range of covers with help from six guest singers. Originals like the samba-infused “Bada Bamba” and the hard-swinging “Arturo” (with Arturo Sandoval on flugelhorn) stand out, as do his remakes of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” and the Ellington-esque ballad “Only the Lonely” (with singer Tierney Sutton).
More By Chris Walden Big Band
- 2006
- 2005
- 2007
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