Seventeen seasoned jazz musicians are a powerful force to wield and control, but control (and flaunt) he does as Jamie Begian leads his big band through nine engaging tracks on his new CD, Big Fat Grin. This is the band’s second release, the first being Trance in 2003. Begian, composer and guitarist, has referred to Trance as being from his development phase. Now comfortable within his own compositional style and skills he feels free to explore and exploit his talents on Big Fat Grin. Begian studied jazz guitar at the Hartt School of Music and at the Master’s level at the Manhattan School of Music. He has been actively involved in The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop (he received the BMI Workshop’s Charlie Parker Award in 2001 for “Fuzzy Math”) and Pulse, a New York-based composers' federation. Begian also studied composition with Bob Brookmeyer, virtuoso trombonist and jazz composition professor at New England Conservatory. Since 2005 Begian has been the full-time coordinator of the Jazz Studies Degree Program at Western Connecticut State University. 

Begian’s compositional style is kernel development. He starts with a simple idea, often a rhythmic element then constantly expands and layers it, throwing in unexpected twists and turns that always surprise and delight. The layering can occur even during solos such as on the CD’s lead off cut, “Funky Coffee” where solos begin with alto sax (Marc McDonald). McDonald, rather than giving way to the next soloist as would be the norm, continues unabated as he is joined by trumpet (Tom Goehring). Likewise, both are soon joined by trombone (Deborah Weisz) and the three-way interplay continues and is joined by the ensemble as a fourth layer. Unusual, interesting and also funky as the name suggests, “Halay” is based on an Armenian dance rhythm and a snippet of melody which grows into a foot-tapping rollick. Dimitri Moderbacher is featured on clarinet and Peter Retzlaff on drums. Moderbacher also starts off “Patience” with a plaintive flute melody then the layering begins and slowly (patience) crescendos to a trumpet solo (Dave Scott). Surprising elements, as we have learned by this point, are a Begian signature and in “Patience” the curiosity is a bit of slide guitar. “Suddenly, Summer Falls” begins with a pastoral harmony of reeds and brass, features intertwining solos by flute (Moderbacher) and guitar (Begian), and fades into a quiet dissonance to finish. 

The next four tracks comprise a suite of works based on trombone etudes written by Dave Taylor. Various chop-building musical elements—such as a static note presented in various rhythmic patterns—are introduced, developed and layered into complex, multi-part compositions. The trombone section (Weisz, Jeff Bush, Paul Olenick and Max Seigel, bass trombone) is featured along with soprano sax (John O’Gallagher) and trumpet (Marty Bound). The closer and title track, “Big Fat Grin,” features a lot of fine guitar work by Begian, a bass solo (Dave Ambrosio) accompanied by Begian’s guitar comping, a tenor solo (Ben Kono) accompanied by Ambrosio and Begian (the layering), and some exuberant and exhilarating Kentonesque big band blasts. 

This is as fine a collection of original modern jazz compositions as one could expect to find, performed flawlessly by a tight group of talented players. The listener can expect the unexpected, a solo on top of a solo, an electric guitar slide, a sudden blast of horns, the unanticipated harmony or an abrupt change of meter or tempo. It’s what keeps you wearing a big fat grin.