Mad Scientist Music

4-STARS With its latest release, the Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra brings a ton of energy and perspective. Emanating from the large ensemble format, Patterson's compositions are arranged in nuanced and exciting ways, delivering on the promise of issuing from the brain of a "mad scientist."

The opening salvo, "We're Back Baby," comes straight at us from the first few notes punctuated by trumpeter Brian MacDonald. The rhythm never dies, but the arrangement offers more than just constant "swing." On "Always," the band moves through emotional territory with a similar level of verve, followed by "The Mixup," a blues number, which finds the orchestra right at home in the idiom. Yet finding a home in that sound is not all the orchestra is about.

A trombonist well-known for his work with the Airmen of Note, this is Patterson's third big band effort following the creation of the orchestra in 2016. Mad Scientist Music is a companion to the 2024 record Groove Junkies, and on both releases, Patterson's arrangements demonstrate that this format needn't be a vehicle to conserve the jazz of yesteryear.

As Patterson continues to draw from a diverse palate and a crew of gifted players, the orchestra could find its place in league with more established acts in the ecosystem of large ensemble jazz. A tune like "The Misinformation Age," with its deft use of the percussion of Fran Vielma and the vocal "instrumentation" of Emily Davies, is the strongest indication that a new perspective on big band jazz is afoot.