Big Band Music With A Hippie Flair

Big Band Music With A Hippie Flair

Bruce Von Stiers

I like most styles and genres of music. I grew up as mostly a rock music fan, but jazz slid it's way in sometimes. And occasionally I'd listen to Big Band music. As much as I liked listening to Boston, Aerosmith and Triumph, I gained a huge appreciation for Benny Goodman and Glen Miller. And I thought music from Santana and The Grateful Dead was cool. I also learned to appreciate bands like Yellowjackets and Tower of Power and artists such as Chick Corea.

There is one artist who has incorporated the styles I've mentioned into his repertoire. His name is Russ Anixter. About six years ago, Anixter put together an eleven-piece ensemble to as he puts it “develop my artist side and find my voice.” This ensemble has a unique and apt name, Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band.

Anixter and his band have an album that they've just released. The title of the album is What Is? The album is being self-released.

The band had eleven musicians performing on the album. They were Matt Hong on alto sax, flute and bass clarinet; Stan Harrison on tenor & soprano sax and clarinet; Frank Vacin on baritone & soprano sax and alto flute; Matt Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn and Audrey Flores on French horn. There was also Dan Levine on trombone, Jack Schatz on bass trombone, Bill Hayes on vibes, xylo & congas, Michael Aarons on guitar, Steve Count on bass and Scott Neumann on drums. Russ Anixter provided all the arrangements and orchestrations.

There were two special guest performers on the album. Steve Bernstein played slide trumpet on two songs and Oz Noy played guitar on another.

I think my favorite song by Tower of Power is What Is Hip? It has been covered by quite a few artists. Anixter and the band bring their own touch to their rendition of the song. It leads off the album, which I guess sort of makes it the title track. It has some really badass sax in it.

Little Feat was kind of an alt rock band way before the term was even coined. Their style of music reverberated throughout the ‘70's. One of the band's best-known songs is Dixie Chicken. The song is done on this album with the ensemble adding an additional Dixieland touch. Although there is a collision of sounds about halfway through the song that's a bit different.

The third song on the album is a mash up of Joni Mitchell's Free Man In Paris and Eddie Harris's Freedom Jazz Dance. It is a very interesting combination of songs. Anixter's arrangement makes it work well and there is some great vibraphone and French horn in the song. I hadn't heard Joni's original album cut of Free Man In Paris for a long time. I listened to it again for a reference for the mashup on this album. I'd forgotten how well I liked that song.

Another interesting arrangement on the song is She Said, She Said. Anixter expanded this song by The Beatles with some fun trumpet and trombone.

Heaven On Their Minds is from Jesus Christ Superstar. This rendition of the song has some of the cool rock elements, but is a bit more subtle with flute and sax.

Anixter's band uses a lot of Grateful Dead songs in their shows. They do a nice mashup of two Grateful Dead songs on this album, Saint Stephen and Turn On Your Love Light. That is followed by another nice rendition of the Grateful Dead song, Uncle John's Band. It features some terrific guitar.

Hideaway from Freddie King is a fun, energetic song. The band does right by their rendition of the song on this album. There is some great guitar and a bit of subtle vibraphone.

The classic Van Morrison tune, Into The Mystic, is done on the album. It has a subtle and beautiful trombone element.

Another very interesting rendition on the album is Whipping Post. They meld the Southern Rock elements of the song with a strong jazz presence that makes it work very well. The trumpet solo in the song is excellent.

The album closes with yet another surprise. It is Green Hornet, the theme song from that long ago adventure television show. This rendition has a fun little groove to it.

Anixter has stated that the songs on the album represent his love for big band music and for “rock groups that improvise.” I think that he did an excellent job with the songs. The arrangements might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed them. I especially liked Hideaway, the group's fun take on the Green Hornet theme and their interpretation of the Allman Brothers classic Whipping Post. On top of that, I got to hear my favorite Tower of Power song with a slightly different arrangement.

What Is? is available now for download. You can also purchase the album on CD.

To learn more about Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band, visit https://www.russanixter.com/ You can also order the album from the website.

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