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Jazz Omnivores: 'Dying Will Be Easy' (And Fun)

In our globalized musical environment, you never know where the next distinctive jazz ensemble (or composer) is going to come from. In the case of the nine-piece little big band Fight the Big Bull, it's Richmond, Va.

Fresh Air's jazz critic reviews Dying Will Be Easy, the debut album from a nonet that traffics in woozy trombones, blurry-edged musical lines, layered melodies and countermelodies, and a throaty, vocalized sound that can almost come across like choral singing.

Dying Will Be Easy, a four-tune album that's barely over a half-hour long, was originally intended to be a demo; it showcases the first four pieces frontman Matt White composed for Fight the Big Bull. (More recent tracks are available on the band's MySpace page.)

Below: Hear the album's title track, courtesy of Song of the Day from NPR Music.

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Corrected: July 21, 2009 at 9:13 AM CDT
The broadcast version of this review misidentified a distorted trombone played by Bryan Hooten and incorrectly cited the album's title. The audio on this page has been updated.
Kevin Whitehead is the jazz critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Currently he reviews for The Audio Beat and Point of Departure.
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