PETE MCGUINNESS JAZZ ORCHESTRA

BIRDLAND / MAY 25

20 years strong in the game, the Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra will celebrate their new and fourth album Mixed Bag (Summit Records, 2025). The album is the band’s most ambitious and spirited release to date, offering unbridled swing to simmering bossa nova, elegant balladry to bracing modernism.The album marks the orchestra’s first release since Pete was forced to leave his trombone behind after recent years suffering from a neurological disorder. Pivoting now to writing and singing, the three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated arranger will showcase brand new originals and arrangements of timeless jazz tunes and American popular standards with his 17-piece group. Both Pete, who has been active in New York City’s jazz scene since 1987, and his long-time bandmates have performed with some of the world’s most famous big bands, including those led by Maria Schneider, Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Heath, John Fedchock, Lionel Hampton, Mike Holober, and others. SBL