Home Of My Heart

Chris Walden is a film score writer from Los Angeles and at a young (for a big band leader) 38, has hit a home run with his big band Origin cd, Home of My Heart. Recorded at the venerable Capitol Studios in Hollywood and featuring the cream of the crop top LA session men, Walden's CD swings mightily and his big band connects on a mix of well known big band standards as well as Walden originals. The maturity level of Walden is impressive and the charts used have an enveloping fullness that is brought out by ace engineer, Al Schmitt.

Charlie Haden's Quartet West nugget: Here's Looking at You and Ray Noble's Cherokee are given first rate treatment. And anyone who tackles Oliver Nelson's Stolen Moments is A-OK in my book. Walden is also fearless enough to take on and make John Williams Star Wars theme work in a jazz big band setting. Kudos to Chris Walden for one of the best mainstream big band sessions of the past few years. If only he could take this band on the roadÖ..