• Ragamala Paintings Alive!

    Catalog #: BR8983

    Release Date: October 13, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    World
    Bass
    Percussion
    Saxophone
    Tabla
    Violin

    Composed by Phil Scarff and performed by world-jazz ensemble Natraj, RAGAMALA PAINTINGS ALIVE! shines a contemporary light on historic artwork from India. The members of Natraj individually and collectively bring a wealth of experience exploring the intersection of jazz and global musical traditions. Their stunning performance showcased in this release is wide ranging, deep, and accessible, while firmly rooted in the rich tapestry of Indian classical music. RAGAMALA PAINTINGS ALIVE! is part of a larger multimedia work created in collaboration with Indian classical dancer Jayshree Bala Rajamani, incorporating dance, music, spoken word, and projected images. It brings to life historic ragamala paintings, with each painting representing one Indian classical raga or melodic framework. Inspired by Modest Mussorgsky and his iconic work, Pictures at an Exhibition, Scarff threads the suite together with musical “promenades” that represent the viewer entering and moving about an art gallery, with each theme anticipating a painting or set of paintings to come. Whether heard on its own or experienced as a full multimedia performance, RAGAMALA PAINTINGS ALIVE! takes listeners on a compelling contemporary journey that celebrates classic ragamala paintings from India.

  • PRISM

    Catalog #: BR8981

    Release Date: September 8, 2023

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Jazz
    Trombone
    Trumpet

    When thinking of versatile instrumental setups, the brass quintet might not be the first thing that comes to mind. A grave oversight, according to Alias Brass Company, an all-American brass ensemble which aims to change any such preconceived notions with their vibrant renditions of highly diverse and inclusive music on PRISM from Big Round Records. The versatility in terms of style, mood, and genre is absolutely stunning, whether it's a film soundtrack (Gabriel's Oboe, Over the Rainbow), an obelisk of Baroque music (J.S. Bach's Little Fugue in G Minor), a Christian hymn (Amazing Grace) or a blues standard (St. James Infirmary), the Alias Brass Company navigates the territory with mesmerizing panache. Audacious and bold!

  • You Loved Me Then

    Catalog #: BR8982

    Release Date: September 8, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Vocal Music
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Voice

    YOU LOVED ME THEN, David Harris’ first album of originals in over 30 years, reflects his eclectic musical journey. It began when his father played him the works of Romantic composers like Chopin and Schuman, continued to his grade school encounters with the Beatles and The Doors, and was crowned by his teenage discovery of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and most importantly, Thelonious Monk. Harris estimates that he has written somewhere around 3,000 jazz, pop, and classical compositions. With the help of renowned pianist Paul English and a cadre of exceptional jazz talents, Harris brings some of his favorites to life on this Big Round Records release.

  • When Gaia Falls

    Catalog #: BR8979

    Release Date: August 25, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Electroacoustic
    Piano
    Voice

    WHEN GAIA FALLS from composer Bradford Blackburn is an environmental call for action in the face of climate change manifested through musical, literary, and sonic eclecticism as a medium of universality. Its central message? There is no better time to save the future than the present. From the body of electroacoustic, choral, and chamber works emerge a trio of narrative sub texts. The first, to simplify our needs and desires, the second, to make ecologically sustainable choices, and the third, to pursue positive change as a society. Bradford calls upon several artists to drive his message home in this release, spanning a variety of genres and moods that make a compelling case.

  • The Oxtet Does Hindemith

    Catalog #: BR8977

    Release Date: May 12, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Percussion
    Trumpet

    THE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH from Josh Oxford is a bold reimagining of classical music in a jazz fusion context. In this album, Oxford revisits some of Paul Hindemith’s greatest works. Hindemith, a late Romantic German composer, lived during the first half of the 20th century and was among the most significant composers of his time. The album contains sonatas for trumpet, tuba, trombone, and more, in which tonically complex horn lines weave above a jazz band. Recorded at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca and at Ithaca College, the timbres of the various horns along with marimba, Fender Rhodes, drums, electric guitar and bass, and more, are rendered in high fidelity. THE OXTET DOES HINDEMITH features the music of this legendary composer as you’ve never heard it before.

  • Volution

    Catalog #: BR8976

    Release Date: April 28, 2023

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Saxophone
    Voice

    Israel Neuman’s VOLUTION fuses the power of hip hop with the versatility of jazz to form a uniquely forceful expression. The music heard on the album hints at a number of other musical genres as well, including rhythm and blues and middle-eastern folk music, to name a few. Vocalists including AceKidd and Cole Bracey rap and sing over the kaleidoscopic timbres created by Neuman’s music. In Tear It Down, AceKidd’s lyrics decry systemic injustice with lines like “man down/oh but you won’t lend a hand out/pressed down expecting us to stand down.” In Rough, a lovesick Cole Bracey croons “I’m worthless without your love/I’m spinning…Oh it’s rough.” With evocative lyrics, masterful modulations, and a smooth blend of celebrated musical styles, VOLUTION invites a wide audience of music lovers to the table.

  • Standing On Chairs

    Standing on Chairs

    Catalog #: BR8901

    Release Date: December 1, 2009

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Organ
    Percussion
    Piano

    Allen Savedoff composer

  • Mika Marimba Madness

    Catalog #: BR8920

    Release Date: November 15, 2011

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano

    Big Round Records is proud to present MIKA MARIMBA MADNESS: LIVE IN CONCERT 2009, featuring a breathtaking performance from Japan's virtuoso marimbist Mika (Yoshida) Stoltzman alongside drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Eddie Gomez, and pianist Peter Stoltzman.

  • Peggo In Love

    Peggo In Love

    Catalog #: BR8902

    Release Date: September 1, 2009

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Vocal Music
    Percussion
    Piano
    Voice

    Peggo Hodes soprano

  • Morning Moon

    Morning Moon

    Catalog #: BR8924

    Release Date: May 29, 2012

    21st Century
    Chamber
    Jazz
    Flute
    Percussion
    Piano

    Big Round Records is proud to present MORNING MOON, the debut commercial release from the eclectic and varied Ecco La Musica. The group's seamless blending of jazz, world, chamber, and experimental music-all of which is composed by the group members themselves-highlights their ability to remain ahead of the curve of their competition, both independent and mainstream. As most artists struggle to blur the lines of genre, Ecco La Musica has them nearly erased.

    Ecco La Musica seeks to connect to its audience not through an ability to be pegged into a single category, but through the spiritual and cultural aspects of their music. Firm believers in the unifying power of music and the coexistence promoted by its very craft, the group strives to expose listeners to the idea that originality and cross-cultural influences in music can lead to a global awareness of artistic integrity, the necessity for peace, and the unity of culture.

  • Marika Groove

    Marika Groove

    Catalog #: BR8923

    Release Date: April 1, 2012

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Clarinet
    Percussion

    In February 2012, three of today's greatest jazz musicians and arguably the world's top classical clarinetist entered Avatar Studios in New York to record a twelve-minute epic by the legendary Chick Corea. The resulting track, Marika Groove with marimbist Mika (Yoshida) Stoltzman, drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Eddie Gomez, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, captures the brilliance of both the composer and performers in a sprawling cut with constant interplay between the instruments and melodic marimba lines, which (Yoshida) Stoltzman navigates with ease.

  • Sound Tapestries

    Sound Tapestries

    Catalog #: BR8910

    Release Date: August 31, 2010

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano

    SOUND TAPESTRIES features performances of Jazz classics by Bunny Beck and the Bunny Beck Trio. Each song is unique with its appeal and mood, and Beck brings them together comfortably, both with the trio and on the solo piano. Join Beck as she weaves the sounds of each track to create tapestries of music.

  • An Imperfect Storm

    An Imperfect Storm

    Catalog #: BR8907

    Release Date: May 25, 2010

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Orchestral
    Big Band
    Orchestra
    Saxophone

    Andy Jaffe’s precise-yet-swinging big band jazz compositions shine on his premiere Big Round release, from a playful rendition of Nat King Cole’s Straighten Up and Fly Right to the sprawling Porticulture suite.

  • Marimjazzia

    Marimjazzia

    Catalog #: BR8933

    Release Date: April 29, 2014

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion

    With a variety of musical flavors pulled from composers spanning Keiko Abe to Bach to Bill Evans, MARIMJAZZIA, composer and marimbist Juan Álamo's debut album on Big Round Records delivers a satisfying plate of music for the soul. Along with arrangements of two jazz standards, Waltz for Debby and Afro Blues, the album features original compositions for marimba and percussion ensemble by the composer. As to the concept behind the album, Álamo says, "It is a reflection of who I am as a human being and a synthesis of all the different musical influences and experiences I have had throughout my career." With accompaniments by the UNC Percussion Ensemble, MARIMJAZZIA brings together the warm airs of Álamo's native Puerto Rico and the influences that have kept his passion flourishing.

  • Chat Chill Highline

    Chat Chill Highline

    Catalog #: BR8937

    Release Date: November 11, 2014

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Big Band

    On her debut Big Round Records release, CHAT CHILL HIGHLINE, composer Christina Rusnak presents works arranged for big band and large jazz ensemble, illustrating manners in which we interact with others and our environments such as conversing, observing, and absorbing. Composed during the rising popularity of internet chatrooms, Chat reflects on the energy and the sounds of movement, the multitude of voices, and the interweaving of conversations created in virtual and real social gatherings.

  • From The Spirit

    From the Spirit

    Catalog #: BR8934

    Release Date: May 27, 2014

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Piano
    Saxophone

    Birdland. The Village Vanguard. The Jazz Standard. Just a few of the New York clubs that have saturated the city's streets with the smooth sounds of jazz. Within this tradition, New York-native pianist and composer Bunny Beck presents seven cool and swinging original compositions as well as an arrangement of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" on her second release on Big Round Records, FROM THE SPIRIT. Featuring saxophonist Matt Blostein, guitarist Ed MacEachen, bassist Tom Hubbard, and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, with Bunny Beck on piano, the Bunny Beck Jazz Ensemble highlights crisp and expressive improvisations while occasionally breaking into Latin rhythms. This album captures the relaxed and refined atmosphere emanating from those New York clubs.

  • Sounds From The Delta

    Sounds From The Delta

    Catalog #: BR8935

    Release Date: June 1, 2014

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Percussion
    Saxophone

    From Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club de France to the American jazz players who immigrated to immerse themselves in its vibrant musical scene, Paris has been an epicenter of haute jazz culture. Jean-Philippe Grégoire has been a staple of the Paris jazz scene for many years and on his debut Big Round Records release SOUNDS FROM THE DELTA the guitarist/composer presents a refined and inspired hybrid of French and American jazz styles.

  • Detours

    Detours

    Catalog #: BR8938

    Release Date: May 12, 2015

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano

    DETOURS, the debut Big Round Records release from percussionist Joe Porter and pianist Joel Goodfellow, showcases the jazz duo's capacity for collaboration and improvisation, with animated and dynamic versions of well-known film and literary compositions.

  • A Sinister Endeavor

    A Sinister Endeavor

    Catalog #: BR8941

    Release Date: July 10, 2015

    21st Century
    Jazz
    Cello
    Percussion
    Piano

    On her debut Big Round Records release, A SINISTER ENDEAVOR, composer and pianist Gay Pearson presents a collection of works that highlight her eclectic quintet - consisting of piano, bass, drums, flute, and cello - and their colorful, introspective, and energetic performances. Recorded live in Newburyport MA, this album presents original works by Pearson, including Zonal and Meridional Flow, with its classical counterpoint and 4-part polyphony; the energetic solo piano piece Cirrus High; and An Ionian Emitter, which uses complex rhythms and syncopation.

  • Big Round Sound

    Big Round Sound Vol. 1

    Catalog #: BR8942

    Release Date: July 10, 2015

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Chamber
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Harp
    Piano

    Big Round Record's first installment of its compilation series, BIG ROUND SOUND VOL. 1, presents a deep cross-section of the label's contemporary and eclectic catalog. From jazz and world music to folk, fusion, and progressive rock, this album features performances by Tony R. Clef, the Oscuro Quintet, Andy Jaffe and Branford Marsalis, Sophie Dunér, the Larksong Trio, Anne Vanschothorst, Juan Álamo, Jean-Philippe Grégoire, and more in works by Christina Rusnak, Svjetlana Bukvich, Sebastiano Meloni, Ecco La Musica, Bunny Beck, and others.