Biography
The Peter Hand Big Band stands as a refined expansive jazz collective centered on longtime New York guitarist Peter Hand and an array of elite improvisers drawn from the city's jazz circles. The ensemble first emerged in the mid-2000s and has drawn acclaim for its polished swinging style, documented across releases such as the 2009 album The Wizard of Jazz: A Tribute to Harold Arlen and the 2014 follow-up Out of Hand.
Hand established the group in 2005 after gaining prior leadership experience directing the nonprofit big band and educational entity known as the Westchester Jazz Orchestra. A native of New York City and Berklee College of Music alumnus, he had earlier collaborated with vocalists and instrumentalists including Jon Lucien, Attila Zoller, George Coleman, and Mike LeDonne. Participation in the BMI Advanced Jazz Composers Workshop further shaped his writing through mentorship from Manny Albam, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jim McNeely. These accumulated insights informed the formation of his own large ensemble, which assembled numerous longtime colleagues from the New York jazz community. The band's first recording appeared in 2009 as The Wizard of Jazz: A Tribute to Harold Arlen, spotlighting veteran saxophonist Houston Person along with saxophonists Don Braden and Ralph Lalama, trumpeters Cecil Bridgewater, Valery Ponomarev, and Jim Rotondi, trombonist John Mosca, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Harvie S, drummer Steve Johns, and additional players.
The Peter Hand Big Band issued its second album, Out of Hand, in 2014, where Hand delved into original compositions with a comparably vibrant lineup that again included Person, Braden, Ponomarev, and further contributors. In 2019 the guitarist delivered the ensemble's third album, Hand Painted Dream, which incorporated featured appearances by vocalist and saxophonist Camille Thurman as well as the Secret String Quartet.
Hand established the group in 2005 after gaining prior leadership experience directing the nonprofit big band and educational entity known as the Westchester Jazz Orchestra. A native of New York City and Berklee College of Music alumnus, he had earlier collaborated with vocalists and instrumentalists including Jon Lucien, Attila Zoller, George Coleman, and Mike LeDonne. Participation in the BMI Advanced Jazz Composers Workshop further shaped his writing through mentorship from Manny Albam, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jim McNeely. These accumulated insights informed the formation of his own large ensemble, which assembled numerous longtime colleagues from the New York jazz community. The band's first recording appeared in 2009 as The Wizard of Jazz: A Tribute to Harold Arlen, spotlighting veteran saxophonist Houston Person along with saxophonists Don Braden and Ralph Lalama, trumpeters Cecil Bridgewater, Valery Ponomarev, and Jim Rotondi, trombonist John Mosca, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Harvie S, drummer Steve Johns, and additional players.
The Peter Hand Big Band issued its second album, Out of Hand, in 2014, where Hand delved into original compositions with a comparably vibrant lineup that again included Person, Braden, Ponomarev, and further contributors. In 2019 the guitarist delivered the ensemble's third album, Hand Painted Dream, which incorporated featured appearances by vocalist and saxophonist Camille Thurman as well as the Secret String Quartet.
Albums
