Coming About
Eclipsed by bebop's seismic shift toward small groups, battered by the free-blowing strategies of the avant garde and threatened with obsolescence by synthesizers, orchestral jazz has rebounded over the past decade in a still modest but gratifying resurgence of serious, large ensemble recordings and renewed appreciation for past masters like the late Gil Evans. His legacy echoes reassuringly in the work of composer, arranger, and conductor Maria Schneider, whose New York-based orchestra has been a magnet for strong, young players eager for the disciplined sweep and power unique to richly voiced large groups.  Her second album is a nuanced showcase for both musicians and leader, ranging from Latin rhythms on the opening "El Viento" to the centerpiece shape-shifting suite, "Scenes From Childhood." Schneider's tender explication of Alex North's "Love Theme fromSpartacus" and an intelligent expansion of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" underline both her ambition and her formidable skill.--Sam Sutherland