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LICKETY SPLIT
THE VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA - MUSIC OF JIM MCNEELY
NEW WORLD RECORDS CATALOG #: 80534-2

1998 GRAMMY Nominee

The critically acclaimed CD Lickety Split: The Music of Jim McNeely, received a Grammy nomination for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance".  The recording was produced through the orchestra’s not-for-profit entity, Sixteen as One Music Inc. and funded in part by generous grants from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and

the Aaron Copland Fund for Music. 

 

Hailed as “remarkably adventurous”…”verging on the fabulous”…”eloquent enough to be profound” and voted one of the top ten recordings of 1997 by the New York Times, Lickety Split features eight compositions by Jim McNeely including tributes to the orchestra’s founders Thad Jones and Mel Lewis.

 

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THE VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis

www.vanguardjazzorchestra.com
 
THE BAND

Trumpets: Earl Gardner (Lead), Joe Mosello, Glenn Drewes, Scott Wendholt

Trombones: John Mosca (Lead), Ed Neumeister, Douglas Purviance (bass trombone) , Earl McIntyre (bass trombone)

Reeds: Dick Oatts (Lead alto and soprano saxophones, flute), Billy Drewes (alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet), Rich Perry (Tenor saxophone, flute), Ralph LaLama (Tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute), Gary Smulyan (Baritone saxophone)

Rhythm Section: Jim McNeely–piano, John Riley–drums, Dennis Irwin–Bass

 

THE MUSIC

Extra Credit - 8:53

Thad - 12:02

In The Wee Small Hours Of The Night - 7:41

Licety Split - 7:51

Absolution - 8:17

Sticks - 7:37

Reflection - 8:37

Mel - 8:46

 

All music composed and arranged by Jim McNeely

Wu Wei Music except In the Wee Small Hours Of The Night (composed by David Mann and Bob Hilliard - arranged by Jim McNeely)

 

PRODUCTION

Produced by Sixteen As One Music Inc., The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Thomas Bellino ans Douglas Purviance, Executive Producers

Douglas Purviance and Stuart J. Allyn, Producers

 

Recorded April 7&8, 1997 and mixed June 19021 at Avatar Recording Studios, NYC

Stuart J. Allyn, Engineer

Aya Takemura and Scott Young, Assistant Engineers

 

Digital Audio Editing at Masque Sound and Recording

CD premastering: George Blood Professional Audio Services, Philadelphia, PA

Cover design: Bob Defrin Design, Inc. NYC

Photograph: Jeffrey Zaruba/Photonica

 

This recording was made possible through generous grants from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and Francis Goelet

 

 

  

“…amazing is the quality of the music and performance level sustained over that [thirty-one year] period.  In terms of longevity and seriousness of purpose, only the orchestras of Ellington and Basie may compare...”

Jack Sohmer, JazzTimes

 

“McNeely knows how to squeeze emotional significance out of a chart.  That skill, plus scads of rousing soloists and the elan of the intragroup rapport, make Lickety Split eloquent enough to be considered profound.”

Jim Macnie, Down Beat

 

“Mr. McNeely’s music…is often brilliant, fueled with juxtapositions, strange connective thoughts and finally surprise.”

Peter Watrous, The New York Times

 

“In this impressive CD, the music integrates Gil Evans’ classical allusions as well as the heady rhythms of the be-bop big bands, and the group is stocked with impassioned soloists who are treated to showcases."

Ben Ratliff, The New York Times

 

“As boldly as its title suggests, Lickety Split takes our notions of how a jazz big band can and should sound and shakes the living lickety out of them.  In fact, the last time the orchestral language of jazz received such a welcome jolt may have been when the famed Miles Davis/Gil Evans album Miles Ahead was released – and that was way back in 1957.”

Larry Kart, Chicago Tribune

 

“…the VJO under McNeely’s direction progresses into fertile territory, exploring new directions in harmonic color, form and development for soloists and ensemble.”

CMJ

 
 

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