Bman's Blues Report

ALBUM REVIEW Russ Anixter's Hippie Big Band - What's Next? Label: RussAnixter.com Released: August 7, 2026 DR: TBD R uss Anixter's Hippie Big Band isn't your standard, straight-laced jazz ensemble. It’s an unconventional, hard-grooving 11-piece New York collective that takes the wild, improvisational freedom of late-1960s counterculture rock and smashes it together with the sophisticated horn charts of large-ensemble jazz. Formed in 2019, the band treats classic tracks from the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Little Feat, and Miles Davis like raw canvases—stretching them out with massive horn arrangements, unexpected rhythmic shifts, and plenty of room for heavy jamming. The group keeps a tight, dedicated lineup of killer musicians who are regulars in New York’s elite studio, Broadway, and jazz circles. The whole project is the brainchild of veteran arranger, orchestrator, and trombonist Russ Anixter. Russ grew up ...

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release,  Picc Pocket , rom  Erica von Kleist , and it's super. Opening with  We Know how To Picc 'Em , a bright poppy number with a Latin beat, Eric von Kleist lays out the melody on piccolo with precision and soul. Backed by Yago Vazquez on piano, Noriko Ueda on bass and Anton Kot on drums, this is a strong track. Vazquez maintains the rhythm as Ueda solos on bass creating a strong opener. On  Bone 2 Picc , von Kleist teams up with Jennifer Krupa on trombone for a perfect melody. Krupa really handles the trombone with a terrific, muted horn solo, backed by Kot, Ueda and Vazquez for one of my favorites on the release.  Picc & Choose  is another strong composition, with von Kleist presenting the melody over a very light backing. Slowly building with  Vazquez on piano, and Ueda on bass quietly building with more cymbal and snare by Kot as Vazquez solos. Lively movement and a bright me...