Mixed Bag – The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra

Mult-Grammy Finalist, Pete McGuinness, presents his ‘premium’, acclaimed New York City Big Band with skilled, diverse, first-class precision!

In 2025’s jazz world, there are so many styles, genres and ways an artist can be expressive (so many “bags”). For this project, McGuinness’ group’s fourth CD in their roughly 20 years of making music together, he’s included many bags that he loves to write music in and is lucky to have a band that can pull each off in a convincing and musical fashion. Enjoy this Premium NYC Large Jazz Ensemble.

GENRE: Jazz/Large Jazz Ensemble/Big Band
COMPOSERS: Pete McGuinness, Cole Porter, Chris Rogers, Johnny Green, John Lewis, Thelonious Monk, Johnny Mandel

Pete McGuinness – leader/composer/arranger/vocalist

Saxophones/woodwinds: Dave Pietro, Mark Phaneuf, Tom Christensen, Rob Middleton, Dave Riekenberg

Trumpets/flugelhorns: Jon Owens and Tony Kadleck (split leads), Hollis “Bud” Burridge, Chris Rogers

Trombones: Bruce Eidem, Mark Patterson, Matt Haviland, Jeff Nelson

Rhythm section: Pete McCann – guitar (tracks 5 and 7); Mike Holober, Bill Charlap – piano; Mark Wade – bass; Scott Neumann – drums

Violin: Hiroko Taguchi (concert mistress), Whitney LaGrange, Annaliesa Place, Caleb Burhans • Viola: Todd Low, Angela Pickett • Cello: Melissa Westgate, Alon Bisk • Flute: Steve Kenyon • French horn: Chris Kome

This is the first recording that Pete McGuinness has recorded with his band since he had to say goodbye to his beloved trombone a few years ago (due to embouchure dystonia) –  He leads the band with precision – and sings on a number of cuts – he also wrote all the arrangements – writing and singing have always been additional and equal parts of how he expresses himself.

The musicians in the band are more than simply a collection of the some of the most seasoned and professional New York City big band and solo jazz artists (they are indeed that!), they are also good friends with whom Pete has been in the musical trenches since he first began performing in New York back in the late 1980s. They support his efforts with every note they play. A collective resume of their work shows a long list of renowned jazz big bands, led by both old school and contemporary bandleaders, including Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Maria Schneider, John Fedchock, Darcy James Argue, and many others. All this experience brings a great sense of both maturity and musicality to their performance!