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Though this recording comes to us at the dawn of a new millennium, it actually is a compilation and record, in the true sense of the word, of the music of the past 25 years of this particular aggregation of jazz musicians. It documents an experience of the writing of Greg Hopkins and the generous performance qualities of the great jazz musicians in the New England area. In this recording we witness the continued growth of the writing and playing of the Greg Hopkins 16 Piece Jazz Orchestra. There is some history here, and a whole lot of dues. The musicians have extensive road credentials, traveling and recording with such jazz luminaries as Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Art Blakey, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Tony Williams, Lonnie Smith, and George Russell, just to name a few. An ensemble of this nature gathers together not without the idea of recreating some of the intense energy of those "road band" days. The maturity of ensemble playing and depth of improvisation is an obvious result of all that experience. Band leader Hopkins comes to us from the great jazz mecca of Detroit Michigan. He cut his teeth playing with many local jazz bands, territory bands, and Motown acts. The influences of growing up in that area were extremely varied. Many venues in the early '60s featured different stars every week, from Duke Ellington to Woody Herman, to Roland Kirk, to Coltrane's classic quartet with McCoy and Elvin, and Miles' famous quintet. Other clubs featured the tremendously popular Motown music; groups like the Temptations, the Supremes, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, and hundreds of vibrant local Detroit musicians. The Motown package was usually comprised of three or four front singers, a five or six piece rhythm section, and ten to fifteen horns-a tour de force for rhythm and blues music. Always enamored by big bands and larger orchestras, playing behind these Motown acts contributed to Hopkins' burgeoning musical palette. While several influential bands in Detroit were a boon to his writing development, Hopkins was largely self-taught. The Lanny Austin-Emil Moro band and Jimmy Wilkins band, (Ernie's brother), had some of Basie's and Thad Jones' charts, and many others. Just to get to hear and play them over and over was a tremendous education, "I remember taking the parts, making a full score, and then a condensed score, and studying these gems," Hopkins recalls. While attending Michigan State University, an influential cadre of experienced musicians further inspired Hopkins' jazz writing and playing. The mentors of this period were alto sax legend Andy Goodrich, trumpet great Louis Smith, baritone sax stylist Les Rout, the dynamic trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, and writers George West and Bob Curnow. Billy Maxted had a powerful four-horn jazz unit, which was based in Detroit. Hopkins played with this band in 1971, traveling the Midwest, New York and Las Vegas. Traditionally, this gig was a conduit to join other bands, so in 1972 he went with the Buddy Rich Band as trumpet soloist and arranger/composer. In the Rich band, Hopkins contributed such staple charts as "Prelude to a Kiss," "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Waltz of the Mushroom Hunters," and the best selling "Nutville." This afforded national and worldwide travel, and recording opportunities. In 1974, Hopkins landed in Boston, presumably to rest for a year or two from the road, but signed on at the Berklee College of Music. Jazz and theatre opportunities created a lucrative environment in Boston at that time. Hopkins' passion for writing for the jazz orchestra continued. Commissions and writing opportunities resulted in the formation of The 16 Piece and a large and hitherto unrecorded body of compositions | ||
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