BT ALC Big Band - Hearing The Truth (2023)

Band leaders Brian Thomas (trombone) and Alex Lee-Clark (trumpet) produced and arranged the nine original songs making up the group’s fifth album. Appearing across the album are such illustrious guests as G. Love, John Medeski, Karl Denson, Eric Krasno, Soulive’s Alan Evans and Lettuce members Nigel Hall, Adam Deitch and Eric “Benny” Bloom. Parts of the album were recorded remotely due to the pandemic, while others were later worked out during in-person sessions.

Written by Thomas at the onset of the pandemic, “Bring Forth Change” features Evans and was released as a single.

“This was the first tune we remotely recorded after the pandemic hit, and it really set the tone for what this album became,” Lee-Clark said. “Brian (Thomas) is one of the most positive forces I’ve ever come across, and the way he willed this whole thing into existence was amazing, and definitely gave all of us musicians a spirit boost as the reality of the pandemic set in.”

The track “What Will You Do” spotlights Medeski on keyboards and “The Iguana” showcases Krasno’s guitar and Denson’s saxophone. Elsewhere, Deitch’s “Egyptian Secrets” gets a big band makeover and G. Love flows and rhymes on the Wu-Tang Clan-inspired “That Sound.”