Toshiyuki Miyama and His New Herd - Orchestrane: New Herd Plays John Coltrane (2005)

What happens when an orchestra that is so determined to break the barriers of big band and what jazz should be, attempts to take on the greatest and holiest of Jazz works? Why, you’d get 1977’s grand masterpiece Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd’s Orchestrane: New Herd Plays John Coltrane. This has been one of my absolute favourite discoveries of 2020 and I’m surprised it’s not talked about more. Miyama and band are well known for their adventurous experiments with the big band sound and concept even reaching as far out as free jazz on occasion. However on Orchestrane, they pay respects to the source material by being more restrained yet injecting new life into these timeless classics. Far from derivative perhaps even a giant step for big bands and orchestras in the modern age.
How’d I come across this album? It was really a chance encounter while digging for albums to cover on the website. I had pulled a stack of (digital) wax to cart and happened to come across this album mostly because I was familiar with Miyama’s other works and already enjoy it immensely so it was a no brainer (We had covered his earlier 1972 album Nio & Pigeon here).
As mentioned above, Miyama and The New Herd is definitely one of Japan’s premier Jazz bands to always look out for. Their technique, execution, down to composition and arrangements of whether standards or originals are truly fantastic and should be studied by any serious Jazz fan or musician. I’ve yet to be disappointed by their works though I hope I’m not jinxing this by saying it!
According to the album’s liner notes, this album may have been the first attempt in the world to recreate an album’s worth of Coltrane’s works in an orchestral setting. Preceded only by a prior sole cover of “Naima” by Woody Herman’s Orchestra in 1974 (Listen here), which is also equally captivating.
On Miyama and The New Herd’s version, the same forlorn and longing saxophone motif is played more or less ad verbatim. However where it diverges is the scale and grandiosity of the layering in additional saxophones, horn instruments and piano. If that sounds excessive well it is but not in a maximal sense, more so in luxury and elegance which the song exudes in ounces.
The instruments are tastefully arranged never overlapping in an atonal way. Additional horn instruments are layered to emphasise and repeat certain phrases off the lead sax, while some serve as stabs which escalates the tension of the song. This version definitely brings to mind the grandeur and splendour of a decadent ballroom in the 1950s which is very much a one-eighty spin on the more sombre original.
On their take of the highly revered “A Love Supreme” suite, arranger Kōzaburo Yamaki had originally written this condensed version during his university jazz band days with his New Orange Swing Orchestra. However he had reworked it for this album to include more parts and solos for the band.
This cover is in one word: exhilarating.
It takes up the entire Side B but it is well worth the wax real estate. Of course it can’t compare to the original, nothing could. Instead I don’t feel that they attempted to improve or tinker in a sacrilegious manner. It’s just a different take on it. Due to its length, the more contemplative and meditative aspects of the original suite had to be condensed. With this version focusing more on the soaring, spirit raising sense that’s invoked in the original suite.
The original motifs are still there though enhanced through well-layered textures that brings about a new dimension to the song. If it’s one thing that I have to say about this entire album is that the arrangements were definitely key and it was truly nailed spot on by Yamaki. The depth and balance in the layering of the different instruments, the transitions into different parts of the songs are seamless and well executed. While this is still a shortened version, it beyond any doubt captured the essence of the original and takes you an astral journey.
On the whole, again this is my absolute favourite find of 2020 so I am completely biased in my opinion. So it’s best you listened through the entire album yourself which you can as we’ve got it up on our channel linked below.
This album deserves to be reissued for sure and I’ll bet HMV Japan has to put this out at some point. However if you’re impatient I believe you can still find this for a decent price floating around. Better act fast though I don’t foresee this staying available forever!