Jamie Begian Big Band Live at New York Baha’i Center July 20, 2010 http://www.jamiebegian.com The Jamie Begian Big Band recently released their second CD, Big Fat Grin, a mix of modern jazz, R&B funk and improvisation. On Tuesday, July 20th they performed selections from the release for Jazz Night at the New York Baha’i Center’s John Birks Gillespie Auditorium, a wonderfully intimate and comfortable venue with great acoustics. But, as the Lilliputian stage bulges with the seventeen piece big band you wonder if the sound can be contained and appreciated within the hall walls. Not to worry, not only is the room well-designed to handle just such situations, but the band and the compositions are precise, tightly controlled and well-balanced. From a softly muted solo trombone on “Tayloration Three” to full band blasts on “Big Fat Grin” the context as well as the spirit of the music shines through. Quoting from popular culture, the hot side stayed hot and the cold side stayed cold.  From a hot and humid New York summer day we stepped into the pleasantly cool, small lobby respite of a building marked by a portable sign proclaiming “Jazz Night,” the Baha’i Center. As we waited for time to enter the auditorium—lemonade and cookies were offered from a folding table near the entrance—band members, identifiable by their instrument cases, entered at random intervals and proceeded “backstage” (actually downstairs) to warm up. There was an atmosphere of anticipation and as the hour approached we were directed up the several steps into the nicely appointed, if small, auditorium and took our comfortable seats. After a brief introduction by a Baha’i Center representative, Mr. Begian introduced himself and the band as a whole and we were off. Begian wore his guitar and played occasionally, but Bruce Arnold delivered fine principal guitar work for the evening while Begian confidently conducted the band through his original compositions. While the entire ensemble often functioned as a whole unit, the program was designed to showcase as many individual band members as possible during the one-hour set. The power of the big band in the small auditorium was palpable but not at all over-powering. Begian maintained tight control as he does on the CD. His compositions generally start with a small idea which is developed through expansion and orchestration, often with layering of thematic excursions on top of each other. Having heard this on the CD it was very interesting to see it done live, a prime example being the sax (Marc MacDonald), trumpet (Tom Goehring) and trombone (Deborah Weisz) solos on “Funky Coffee.” Rather than one soloist giving way to the next, each continues playing their own interpretation as they are enjoined by the others and they are then further layered within the ensemble as a whole; very interesting to see live with each soloist standing as they begin their solo. Also highlighting the thematic development style on the CD is a suite of pieces based on trombone studies by Dave Taylor. Here the band performed “Tayloration Three,” featuring Weisz on trombone and Marty Bound on trumpet. In addition to the Big Fat Grin selections, the band also performed Begian’s prize-winning “Fuzzy Math” from their first CD, Trance.  With a group this size it is possible to overuse its inherent power by pounding out wall to wall full orchestration. Or, conversely, it is possible that some of the vast resources be underutilized by favoring a particular line-up or coloration. Begian was not ensnared by either of these pitfalls. The full dynamic range was explored as were the personalities of the various instruments and their players. With proponents such as this, big band jazz could well make a deserved comeback. The Jamie Begian Big Band live is an evening well spent for any fans of traditional or modern jazz and the CD, Big Fat Grin, is highly recommended.   Mike Reynolds-MuzikReviews.com Staff August 2, 2010 ©MuzikReviews.com For Questions or Comments About This Review Send An Email To Mike at info@muzikreviews.com