THE REVIVE BIG BAND
“We’re carrying on within the tradition of big bands, what would be relevant today- modifying the message, and making it translatable and accessible to the people, so that they have something to connect to. We represent that bridge.” -Igmar Thomas
Heralded by the Village Voice for having New York City’s “most electrifying young lions in jazz,” Revive Big Band has a finger on the pulse of today’s emerging progressive sound while pointing to things yet to come for a new era of music. Formed in 2010 by trumpeter, composer and arranger Igmar Thomas, this multi-generational ensemble knows no limits in seeking to advance, celebrate and re-imagine sonic freedom in big band form.
Featuring a world-class cadre of musicians who have consistently bridged the divides between art forms such as trombonist Ku-umba Frank Lacy, critically acclaimed pianist Marc Cary, Thelonious Monk Competition winner Ben Williams, Revive/Blue Note recording artist drummer Otis Brown III and saxophonist Marcus Strickland, the Revive Big Band is more than just a big band; it is a movement. The Revive Big Band symbolizes the voice of a new generation of musicians and audiences that hunger for a more expansive notion of jazz- one that exists in real time, reflecting a dynamic synthesis of their influences and experiences all while leaning towards the future.
Making its debut in 2010 at George Wein’s CareFusion Jazz Festival, the Big Band has gone on to perform at The Kennedy Center, Central Park SummerStage, Harlem Stage, BRIC, the Apollo Theater, Highline Ballroom, Blue Note Jazz Club, Winter JazzFest, Art of Cool Festival and Ginny's Supper Club. In addition, it has had a series of extraordinary collaborations with artists including Gregory Porter, Bilal, Terence Blanchard, Sean Jones, Oliver Lake, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli, Nicholas Payton, Savion Glover, Robert Glasper and Jean Baylor.
The Revive Big Band’s well-honed musical sensibilities powerfully synthesize the art of the beat, treatment of melody, reverence of the standard, and nuances of sound and time. It expands the contemporary canon of composition and dwells at the crossroads of jazz, hip hop, soul and beyond. The band's repertoire features original compositions and inventive orchestrations of jazz standards and contemporary classics by artists ranging from Oliver Nelson, Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard to A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla, Gangstarr, Bilal and more, in rare live performances.
