If you still think of orchestras from the era of swing when hearing big bands, then you haven’t yet heard
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. Argue brings well thought-out jazz orchestrations into the 21th century. The pianist earned his keep in Montreal, Canada, but moved to America in order to found his 18-member Secret Society in 2000. Experts rave about his combination of tradition and innovation: his CDs
Infernal Machines (2008) and
Brooklyn Babylon (2013) were both part of over a hundred annual lists including Best Album and received Grammy and Juno awards. In his compositions he moves rapidly back and forth through the entire spectrum of rock, jazz and classical music. The latest album
Brooklyn Babylon is a multimedia effort with graphical artist Danijel Zezelj and it underlines Argue’s drive to innovate. The album sounds at least as rich as the graphical work predicts: spun-out, melodious pieces, interchanged with wonderfully orchestrated musical twists and turns.
