GRP All-Star Big Band

GRP earned its reputation chiefly for issuing polished and approachable jazz, yet in 1992 founders Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen assembled a traditional though all-star big band drawn entirely from the label’s premier roster. The resulting sessions showcased Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, Dave Grusin, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Dave Valentin, John Patitucci, and, notably, Tom Scott, Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangell, and Lee Ritenour, all reading straightforward charts of jazz standards from the 1950s and ’60s. Apart from confirming that Scott and his associates had not forgotten how to play bop, the recordings contain few unexpected turns, yet they remain consistently pleasurable.