WDR Big Band – Bluegrass (MCG Jazz, 2025)
A dramatic dream sparked the collaboration behind Bluegrass, the ambitious crossover project from Germany’s WDR Big Band. Violinist Darol Anger once imagined performing his music not with a small acoustic group, but with a full big band, and in Germany. That unlikely vision became reality through his longtime partnership with mandolinist Mike Marshall and the involvement of WDR’s musical director, saxophonist Bob Mintzer.
The result is a fearless mix of bluegrass melodies and contemporary big-band jazz, shaped by Mintzer’s inventive arrangements. Rather than presenting a pure hybrid, Bluegrass presents Anger and Marshall’s acoustic Americana within a versatile jazz orchestral context.
The album opens with Marshall’s “Slip and Slide,” where his mandolin leads the way before alto saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer’s solo shifts the momentum toward modern jazz. A medley of traditional tunes, “Elzic’s Farewell/Yew Piney Mountain,” follows with Celtic music overtones and features solos by soprano saxophonist Johan Hörlén and trumpeter Ruud Breuls, as well as a fiery turn from Anger.
Anger’s expressive side comes through on the cinematic Americana “Down in the Willow Garden.” Mintzer switches to EWI (electronic wind instrument) on his own composition “Green Lawn,” trading phrases with Anger once again. Anger’s “Emy in the Woods” adds a waltzing interlude, before Marshall’s upbeat “Borealis” brings the session closer to traditional bluegrass, closing the album on an energetic note.
Other highlights include Anger’s effectuve “Replace It All” and Marshall’s “In the Lion’s Den,” both showcasing virtuosic interplay between soloists. “Dexter,” a rousing folk-inspired anthem, finds Mintzer and pianist Billy Test joining the frontline for some of the album’s most driving moments. The EWI reappears here, integrated tastefully into the big band context.
Musicians:
WDR Big Band: Bob Mintzer on saxophone, EWI; Wim Both, Ruud Breuls, Andy Haderer, Martin Reuthner on trumpet; Johan Hörlén on soprano saxophone; Karolina Strassmayer, Jeremy Powell on alto saxophone; Paul Heller on tenor saxophone; Jens Neufang on baritone saxophone; Ludwig Nuss, Tim Hepburn, Andy Hunter on trombone; Mattis Cederberg on bass trombone; Billy Test on piano; John Goldsby on bass; Dominik Raab on drums.
Guests: Darol Anger on violin; Mike Marshall on mandolin.
Buy Bluegrass.
Author: Tyler Bennet
