The German Youth Jazz Orchestra—abbreviated BuJazzO—has aimed to give an independent voice to outstanding young musicians and musicians from Germany since its founding by Peter Herbolzheimer in 1988. In a certain sense, the official German Youth Jazz Orchestra also reflects the respective musical spirit of the times, regardless of whether under the direction of Jiggs Whigham or currently under Niels Klein. The latest production from “BuJazzO” is entitled “Cuban Fire” and pays tribute primarily to Jiggs Whigham, who has had a close affinity to the orchestra as artistic director, lecturer and mentor since 2011, consequently practically embodying a part of BuJazzO DNA. Whigham, this shrewd, 75-year-old American trombonist, enjoys optimum esteem worldwide. In BuJazzO circles, they respectfully call Jiggs a “mammoth of jazz.”

In 2020, Whigham is to receive the highest distinction that BuJazzO has to award: he will be its honorary conductor. Then he will hand over artistic direction to Ansgar Striepens. For this occasion, there is now a live recording with refined nuances, powerful wind sets and virtuoso nested arrangements recorded at Bimhuis in Amsterdam on September 25, 2016.

Johnny Richards’ Cuban Fire Suite is proof of BuJazzO’s tremendous potential as well as reminiscent of Jiggs Whigham’s own musical past in Stan Kenton’s orchestra. And a prime example of his own demands on how a big band is to sound. It can’t get any better!