ndr bigband: self-portraits in many colours

In the first installment of “Self-Portraits in Many Colors,” members of the NDR Big Band—including Purcy Pursglove, Luigi Grasso, Klaus Heidenreich, Dan Gottshall, Martjin de Laat, and pianist Florian Weber—not only pick up their instruments and take to the keys, but also pick up a pen. Their diverse origins and backgrounds ensure a wide range of contemporary jazz: British trumpeter Percy Pursglove has previously made a mark with programs like “The Ferryman and his Unwanted Shades of the Dead” or emojis set to music, while pianist Florian Weber has shone with his compositional reimagining “Un-Ravel” of Maurice Ravel’s “Ma Mère l’Oye,” and baritone saxophonist Luigi Grasso has melodically and elegantly explored the theme of homesickness in his suite “La Dimora dell’Altrove.” Trombonists Dan Gottshall (groovy) and Klaus Heidenreich (artistic) have also written pieces for the NDR Big Band, while Dutch trumpeter Martjin de Laat draws on his in-depth knowledge of big band literature.