DUTCH JAZZ ORCHESTRA

The Dutch Jazz Orchestra has built up an international reputation with digging up lost music of pioneering jazz composers and arrangers. This spring, the orchestra went in to the studio to perpetuate unreleased work by composer/pianist Mary Lou Williams (1919 – 1983). A lot of her compositions were untouched and are performed now for the first time. In the 40’s, the orchestra, founded by saxophonist Boyd Raeburn, was as important for ‘progressive jazz’ as the orchestras of Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. Yet, he enjoyed less success and was soon forgotten.