Widespread Depression Jazz Orchestra

The Widespread Depression Jazz Orchestra was a nine-piece jazz ensemble founded in 1972 at Vermont's Marlboro College.

Initially, the group played 1950s style R&B and early rock and roll with guitars, piano, sax, bass guitar, drums, and a vocalist, but by the middle of the 1970s was operating as a big band revival group, in the style of the bands of Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton. The unit moved to New York City in 1978 under the leadership of Jon Holtzman, when it recorded the first of several full-length albums. In 1980 five of its members also played on their own as a bebop group.

Holtzman - better known as The Bronx Nightingale, left the group around 1982 to start his own band and recorded his first solo album - "Let's Do It". John Hammond Sr., a big fan of Jon's, graciously volunteered to write the liner notes. After Holtzman left Michael Hashim, the group's alto saxophonist, was named leader, and the musicians broadened their repertory to include swing and bop, featuring original arrangements by band members. Manager Michael Caplin renamed the group the Widespread Jazz Orchestra. WJO played at premier jazz clubs across America and around the world, and appeared at major music festivals including North Sea, Pori, Antibes, New Orleans, Montreal, Montreux + Taormina. Their 1984 Columbia Records album "Paris Blues," was produced by Dr. George Butler.

Discography
Widespread Depression Orchestra
  • Downtown Uproar, Stash (1979); OCLC 6360561[lower-alpha 1]
  • Boogie in the Barnyard, Stash (1980); OCLC 8007049[lower-alpha 2]
  • Rockin' in Rhythm, Phontastic (nl) (Swd) PHONT 7527 (1980); OCLC 16909745[lower-alpha 3]
  • Time to Jump and Shout, Stash ST 212 (1981); OCLC 8246038[lower-alpha 4]
Widespread Jazz Orchestra

Members
At large
  1. Jordan Sandke, trumpet
  2. Tim Atherton, trombone
  3. Michael Hashim, soprano and alto sax, leader (1982 onwards)
  4. Dean Nicyper, tenor sax
  5. David Lillie, baritone sax
  6. Patrick Baron, piano
  7. Mike LeDonne, piano
  8. Roy Gerson, piano
  9. Jmes Wimpsheimer, double bass
  10. Bill Conway, double bass
  11. Mark Minkler, double bass
  12. Bill Eldridge, drums
  13. John Ellis, drums, arrangement
  14. Charlie Braun, drums
  15. Jon Holtzman, vocals, vibraphone, drums, leader (to 1982)
  16. Dan Barrett, trombone
  17. Tad Shull (de) (born 1955), tenor Sax
  18. Ronnie Wells, vocals
  19. Judy Niemack, vocals
  20. Bob Zuck, guitar, vocals
  21. Jeanne Holtzman, bass, vocals
  22. Nick McDougal, alto sax, guitar
  23. Diego Francesco Donaldo Bianco, tenor sax
  24. Michael Caplin, manager
  25. Paul Suihkonen, trumpet
  26. Jake Epstein, clarinet, sax, arranger
  27. Billy Grey, trumpet, vocals
  28. Jim Masters, trombone, vocals
  29. Randy Sandke, trumpet
  30. Joel Helleny, trombone
  31. Peter Ecklund, arranger
  32. John Dwight, arranger
By record
  1. Downtown Uproar — Jordan Sandke, Atherton, Hashim, Nicyper, Little, Holtzman, LeDonne, Flanigan, Ellis
  2. Boogie in the Barnyard — Conway replaces Flanigan
  3. Rockin' in Rhythm — Jordan Sandke, Atherton, Wilber, Hashim, Nicyper, Lillie, Holtzman, LeDonne, Conway, Ellis
  4. Time to Jump and Shout — same except Nicyper
  5. Swing is the Thing — Grey, Jordan Sandke, Masters, Hashim, Shull, Lillie, Gerson, Conway, Ellis
  6. Paris Blues — Jordan Sandke, Randy Sandke, Helleny, Hashim, Shull, Lillie, LeDonne, Minkler, Braugham, Wells, Ellis, Ecklund, Dwight
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References
  • Gary W. Kennedy, "Widespread Depression Jazz Orchestra". Grove Jazz online.

Further reading
  • W. R. Stokes: “Uplifting Depression,” Washington Post (19 April 1979)
  • W. R. Stokes: “The Little Big Band,” Washington Post (2 March 1980)
  • J. S. Wilson: “Jazz: Depression Quintet,” New York Times (26 Dec 1980)
  • C. Cioe: “Backbeat: Widespread Jazz – No Longer Depressed!,” High Fidelity, vol.33 no.7 (1983), p. 84 (with discography)
  • J. S. Wilson: “A New Big Band Identity,” New York Times (19 May 1988)
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