City Jazz Big Band
City Jazz Big Band (LV)
Kārlis Vanags City Jazz Big Band is a 21 piece band that unites musicians wishing to play music of high artistic quality for their own and listeners’ enjoyment. In the relatively short period of its existence the big band has performed together with a great deal of leading Latvian jazz and pop singers and soloists as well as foreign artists – Mats Holmquist, Magnus Lindgren, Magnum Coltrane Price, Erik Soderlind, Robert Ikiz, Diva Cruz, Bill Richardson, Chris Beaty, Michael Varekamp.
Band’s key performances are regular nights in the clubs and jazz festivals all over the country like Rigas Ritmi, Saulkrasti Jazz, Ventspils Groove, Riga City festival, Big Band Music Festival etc.
Big band’s repertoire includes classical values: Count Basie, Duke Ellingtone, Cole Porter, Henry Manchini, Glen Miller etc. as well as contemporary big band arrangers: Thad Jones, Tom Kubis, Bob Mintzer, Mats Holmquist, Magnus Lindgren etc. The band also plays original works of its own participants piano player Ritvars Garoza and the band leader Kārlis Vanags.
Kārlis Vanags City Jazz Big Band has participated in the DVD recording of Latvian pop singer Linda Leen “Live at the Opera”, CD recording “Jazz in Latvia 2008″, more recently the band gave a live concert at the Latvian National Radio 1st studio, which was passed on Euroradio listeners around the world.