November 6 Brings New Holiday CD by the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Press release
Source: Michael Bloom Media Relations

A holiday CD, Carol Of The Bells (Owl Studios), by the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra (BWJO), is set for release on November 6, 2007. BWJO co-founders Mark Buselli and Brent Wallarab are respected educators, as well as accomplished musicians and composers. Their common commitment to America's jazz heritage brought the BWJO to life and helped define the mission of the organization.

Says Brent Wallarb, "The music presented in this collection of holiday favorites have been in the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra library for many years, the original intent to be used for live performances during the Christmas season. It never occurred to us to record these pieces initially, but the response from audience members was so strong, that we felt it was time to honor their requests for a CD. The project, recorded entirely in one day, proved to be a complete joy for everyone involved and we are very proud of the end product.

These arrangements are particularly personal for me in that they reflect the influences of three distinct sources: First, Everett Greene who is the possessor of a voice that is beautiful and moving beyond description. I strove to fashion the arrangements around him, complimenting his warm, subtly swinging style without detracting from it with overblown charts. I wanted his influence to be felt throughout all of the arrangements and fit naturally with his style. The next influence stems from a number of arrangers who have had a profound effect of me: Nelson Riddle, Sy Oliver, Billy May, Henry Mancini, Billy Byers, and of course Duke Ellington. These geniuses had one thing in common: they never forgot that a great arrangement conveys more than just technique. They must showcase the original song with an intent that communicates emotion directly to the audience. I wanted these charts to be at once artistic and musical as well as beautiful and accessible.

The final influence is the source material itself. I enjoyed a childhood, which celebrated the holiday season in an idyllic, storybook fashion. We always had white Christmases, Bing Crosby was always on the stereo, and I would return home from school often to the smell of fresh cookies right out of the oven. Corny, I know but I love the music of the holidays and I hope that our listeners can sense the joy that went into this project with each listening."

All arrangements on Carol Of The Bells are by Brent Wallarab except "Jingle Bells," which is a Duke Ellington arrangement.

Consisting of 17 pieces, the Buselli Wallarab Jazz Orchestra includes many of the top freelance jazz artists in the Midwest. These artists have decades of performance experience between them, such as appearances with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Tribute Band, Natalie Cole, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman, as well as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The late jazz icon J.J. Johnson called the BWJO, "A marvelous new band with exceptional soloists and some of the most creative and satisfying writing I've heard in a long time."

BRENT WALLARAB
Since 1991, Brent Wallarab has been lead trombonist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the jazz orchestra in residence at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History in Washington, DC. As lead trombonist, he specializes in recreating the entire spectrum of jazz brass styles. In 1992, Wallarab was appointed Specialist in Jazz for the Smithsonian Institution and serves as transcriber, researcher, editor, and advisor for the Smithsonian's extensive jazz program. He has transcribed and edited over 300 masterworks for jazz orchestra and is considered one of the leading authorities on historical composition for jazz orchestras such as Duke Ellington, Sy Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, and Gil Evans. He has been instrumental is cataloguing and identifying many pieces from the Ellington archives housed at the Smithsonian Institution.

Former Kenton composer Bill Russo has called upon Wallarab to rehearse, guest conduct and solo with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. Wynton Marsalis has called upon Wallarab to transcribe and arrange for The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and for the "Essentially Ellington" educational program.

Wallarab is in demand for his ability as a composer and arranger in many styles. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the New York Pops Orchestra and the Miami Symphony Orchestra. His Jazz arrangements have been performed and recorded by Bobby Short, J. J. Johnson, Illinois Jacquet, Benny Carter, Jon Hendricks, Wynton Marsalis, James Moody, and others.

MARK BUSELLI
Mark is head of Jazz Studies at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Voted teacher of the year in the music school at Butler University for 2004-2005 season Mark was also the 2001 director of the Indiana All State Jazz ensemble. He also received a Creative Renewal grant from the Indianapolis Arts Council for 2005 to go to NYC and study arranging and composition with well-known artists. He is a clinician for the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation, Conn/Selmer, and a member of BMI, and IAJE.

Buselli has appeared on numerous recordings as a sideman. Mark has worked with the Artie Shaw band, the Benny Goodman tribute band, Natalie Cole, Vic Damone, Makoto Ozone, Phil Wilson, David Baker, Herb Pomeroy, Tony Malaby, Chuck Marohnic, Slam Stewart, Al Cobine, and Dominic Spera. Mr. Buselli graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.