The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble - Tutto Contare (1955)

The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble is comprised on this live recording of three trumpets, four trombones, tuba, seven reeds, keyboards, three strings, two basses, drums and two percussionists. The huge band performs six of Golia's complex originals. Among the many soloists on the set are the leader on two types of clarinets, trumpeters John Fumo, Rob Blakeslee and Mark Underwood, trombonists Mike Vlatkovich and Eric Jorgensen, David Ocker on clarinet, pianist Wayne Peet, altoist Steve Flower, the tenors of Steve Marsh and Bill Plake and violinist Harry Scoro. However it is the dense ensembles that are most remarkable. The music is consistently atonal yet leaves room for space and develops logically (if not predictably). The sounds are sometimes otherworldly (making it difficult to know who is playing what) and the performances do not swing conventionally but they definitely fit into the area of jazz due to the high level of improvisation. This stimulating set is recommended most to listeners with very open ears.