Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra: Enjoy

A gaggle of intriguing repertory groups have sprung up in the jazz world in recent years. Marc Ribots Spiritual Unity, for one, plays the music of Albert Ayler, and Ideal Bread, led by the baritone saxophonist Josh Sinton, kicks out the jams of Steve Lacy. But most exciting of all (conceptually, at least) is the New York-based Bjorkestra, an 18-piece jazz big band dedicated to the music of Bjork. Formed by the alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan in 2004, the tremendous Bjorkestra has tackled the songs of its Icelandic muse with fire and imagination, and expanded on occasion to include guests like the guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and the tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin. Enjoy, from their debut CD, is a driving performance that flirts with drum and bass, and benefits heavily from Joe Abbatantuonos propulsive drumming, Kevin Schmidts sinuous bass trombone solo, and Becca Stevens flexible and convincing vocals.