140 – National Jazz Ensemble – 1975-1976

This is a compilation release of almost all the music ever recorded by The National Jazz Ensemble, an all-star orchestra assembled under the direction of world-renowned bassist Chuck Israels, to perform some of the most innovative arrangements of jazz repertoire ever conceived, ranging in style from Jelly Roll Morton’s Black Bottom Stomp through Horace Silver’s Room 608, and from early Ellington through Bill Evans. First of all, look who the musicians are! These performances feature the legendary pianist Bill Evans himself on piano, as well as some of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time, including Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Jimmy Knepper.

Jimmy Maxwell, Tom Harrell, Dan Hayes, Dave Berger, trumpet;

Jimmy Knepper, Rod Levitt, Joe Randazzo, trombone;

John Clark, French horn;

Greg Herbert, Lawrence Feldman, Sal Nistico, Dennis Anderson, Ken Berger, Lee Konitz, saxophones;

Ben Aronov, Bill Evans, piano;

Steve Brown, guitar;

Lisle Atkinson, Chuck Israels, bass;

Bill Goodwin, drums;

Margot Hanson, vocal