The Sound of Experimental Big Band

“The Sound of Experimental Big Band” brings together a wide-ranging collection of boundary-pushing large ensemble works that stretch the possibilities of big band music. This playlist draws from various eras and geographic scenes, threading together free jazz maelstroms like Peter Brötzmann’s “Machine Gun” and Globe Unity Orchestra’s “Quasar” with cosmic explorations from Sun Ra Arkestra and more structured yet still unconventional modern pieces by Darcy James Argue, Flat Earth Society, and Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra.

Whether it’s the genre-bending compositions of Maria Faust and Fred Ho, the cinematic density of Fire! Orchestra, or the expansive interstellar grooves of Spaceways Inc., these tracks highlight how big bands have long been fertile ground for experimentation. Expect intricate arrangements, bursts of noise, unexpected instrumentation, and shifts between structure and abstraction—this playlist showcases the edges of what large ensemble jazz can be.