Today's playlist, our 40th installment, features "Widespread Depression Orchestra." The name literally means "widespread depression," and it's a jazz unit. The gap between this group's name and its uplifting melodies is quite appealing.
I bought it at my favorite record store in Shimokitazawa, "Flash Disc Ranch."
This store is a record shop I've been frequenting since shortly after I started living in Setagaya. As long as the store exists, their point card is valid, and their popular system gives you half off any number of records under 15,000 yen once you collect 50 stamps, which is an amazing deal.
Widespread Jazz Orchestra: The Trajectory of a Big Band Beyond Time and Genre
The nine-piece jazz ensemble "Widespread Depression Orchestra" was born in 1972 at Marlboro College in Vermont. Starting as a group playing 50s R&B and early rock and roll, by the mid-70s they became standard-bearers of the big band revival, inheriting the styles of masters like Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton.
In 1978, under the leadership of Jon Holtzman, they expanded into New York. They recorded numerous full albums, solidifying their reputation. In the 80s, five members also formed an independent bebop group.
Holtzman, known as the "Bronx Nightingale," formed his own band around '82 and released the solo album "Let's Do It." John Hammond Sr. highly praised it, even contributing liner notes.
Alto saxophonist Michael Hashim took over as leader after Holtzman. Incorporating swing and bebop, and with original arrangements by the members, their repertoire expanded further. Renamed "Widespread Jazz Orchestra" by manager Michael Caplin, they performed at renowned jazz clubs and music festivals worldwide, including the North Sea, Pori, Antibes, New Orleans, Montreal, Montreux, and Taormina.
In 1985, they released the album "Paris Blues," produced by George Butler, on Columbia Records. Their music, which continues to evolve beyond time and genre, still captivates many fans today.
At WAITER-U, we not only select camping gear but also music, books, and movies.
We also create playlists on Spotify, so feel free to listen to them in your car on the way to your next camping trip.
