Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra Approaches 20th Year With MIXED BAG In May

Approaching the 20th anniversary of his stellar orchestra, McGuinness shows off the encyclopedic breadth of his well-seasoned crew as well as his own expansive imagination. Scheduled for release on May 23, 2025 via Summit Records, the fourth album by the Pete McGuinness Orchestra, Mixed Bag is the band’s most ambitious offering to date, ranging from unbridled swing to simmering bossa nova, elegant balladry to bracing modernism.

In the unique vernacular of the jazz nightlife, a “bag” refers to the scene or style, era or approach that the hip musician feels most comfortable working within. Over the course of nearly two decades, the gifted and diverse assemblage of veteran players that make up The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra have proved themselves adept at a staggering range of bags both inside and outside the confines of this lauded big band. In large part that stems from the eclectic sensibilities of three-time Grammy-nominated bandleader and vocalist Pete McGuinness, though the ensemble shares its members with such elite, genre-defying bandleaders as Maria Schneider, Woody Herman, Jimmy Heath, Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi and John Fedchock (who also lent his imprimatur to the current session as producer).

“Some bandleaders prefer to make albums that are more cohesive and concept driven,” McGuinness says. “For me, variety has always been the spice of life. I like to explore different aspects of my musical proclivities. I don't like the feeling of being pigeonholed into a certain bag, regardless of whether it's old school or new school. So I took a lot of chances on this album.”

McGuinness was spurred to delve deeper as a composer and a vocalist for Mixed Bag since the album marks the orchestra’s first release since he was forced to put down his beloved trombone. In recent years the bandleader suffered from a neurological disorder known as “embouchure dystonia” that gradually made playing his lifelong instrument unmanageable. “I miss playing,” he explains succinctly. “I focused more on my writing, which led to this being the strongest record I've done yet with the big band. I also put a lot into my singing because I still want to express myself as a soloist.”

The loss of McGuinness’ trombone from its ranks is one of remarkably few personnel changes that the orchestra has undergone throughout its history. It’s rare for a band of this size to maintain such consistency over such a long period, even more so given that each chair is filled by one of the most in-demand and virtuosic musicians on the New York City jazz, studio and Broadway scenes. They’re bonded by more than talent, however, comprising a generation of players with shared experiences and deep ties of personal and professional camaraderie.

“For the most part, we all came to New York around the same time, roughly 30 years ago,” McGuinness points out. “We formed a community of cats who played in big bands in New York, who were all in the trenches together for many years before I put this band together. There are a lot of talented young bands and talented young cats, but what makes our band unique is the fact that these cats are so well-seasoned that they bring a level of maturity and grown-up interpretation to the execution of my arrangements.”

“Mature” doesn’t have to mean hidebound, and with Mixed Bag McGuinness reveals his eagerness to venture down new and unexplored avenues. The album ends with his first effort at arranging for a studio orchestra, complete with 16-piece string section – a lush rendition of Johnny Mandel’s poignant break-up ballad “Where Do You Start?” graced by his own heartrending vocal and a gorgeous guest appearance by Grammy-winning pianist Bill Charlap, who McGuinness cherishes for “the sublime elegance that he brings to improvising on standards and ballads.” For this track, regular PMJO pianist Mike Holober (an admired bandleader in his own right) takes his place on the conductor’s podium.

Lest listeners might take McGuinness’ emotional singing as evidence of troubled times in his own marriage, he offers reassurance in the form of a sultry bossa nova reimagining of Cole Porter’s romantic classic “So In Love,” dedicated to his wife Joan. Porter also provides the material for McGuinness’ third vocal turn, the swaggering take on “From This Moment On” that opens the album with a spotlight on the leader’s agile scatting. McGuinness also reinterprets three classics of the jazz canon: an atypically fiery “Body and Soul” partly inspired by his mentor, Bob Brookmeyer; John Lewis’ “Django” over a steely samba groove; and Monk’s immortal “’Round Midnight,” updated from a 1988 arrangement that McGuinness penned for the inaugural BMI Jazz Composers Workshop led by Brookmeyer and Manny Albam.

PMJO trumpeter Chris Rogers contributes “Rebecca,” a longtime favorite of McGuinness’ that he recasts with a rollicking Brazilian feel. The remainder of the repertoire is made up of originals by the bandleader. “The Dark Hours” veers into uncharacteristically turbulent and disturbing terrain, while “Down the Rabbit Hole” takes a bracing turn into jagged 12-tone techniques. “Lilac Blues” is a plush, sophisticated blues, and “The Sly Fox” pays tribute to another hero, the late composer/arranger Bill Holman, who passed away last May.

“If I had to name the composers that I most admire and who led me to want to be a composer/arranger, Bill Holman would be very close to the top of the list,” McGuinness says. “I've loved Bill's writing since I was a teenager. He's one of the most clever and humorous composer/arrangers in jazz history, and ‘The Sly Fox’ is loaded with Bill Holman Easter eggs – it’s a loving tribute to many of the aspects of Bill's composing style.” Under the assured guidance and dynamic vision of Pete McGuinness, this Mixed Bag is one that listeners will want to reach into over and over again – sure of finding a gem each and every time.