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Etienne Charles: Creole Orchestra review – jazz trumpeter’s big band dream come true
The Trinidad-born musician and his 22-piece ensemble excel in all styles, from Benny Goodman and Eartha Kitt to Charles’s own Carib-flavoured compositions
A gifted player and composer, Charles has been waiting for a stab at his grand opus for the past decade, since singer René Marie asked him to arrange big band parts for her. A torrent of horns and percussion opens the album on Old School, while the jaunty Douens, named after creatures of Trinidadian folklore, is one of several Carib flavours. Joe Henderson’s A Shade of Jade allows saxophonist Michael Thomas to parade his hard bop chops, while Poison refashions Bell Biv DeVoe’s 1990 R&B hit.
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