Here is a Big Band from Munich, Germany that won the Echo prize (one of the most prestigious prizes in Germany) for the “Jazz Newcomer National 2014″, the “Monika Roscher Big Band”.

This Big Band exists since 2010 and started as a project during Monikas studies at the Munich’s academy of music.

The sound of this band is based on the idea of a Jazz Big Band, with a really regular setup of 5 saxophones, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones and a rhythm section with one extra musician for electronics.

Monika herself plays guitar, usually a Fender Stratocaster, sings and is responsible for all compositions and arrangements.

The sound of this band not easy to describe, but people who listen to Jazz, electronic music, trip hop or indie music will find elements of those styles in the music of this band.

Their first album “Failure in Wonderland” was recorded in 2012 and created a huge press reaction, which allowed the band to tour in 2013 extensively throughout Germany. The band performed the closing concert at the Berlin Jazzfest and shared the stage with John Scofield. The broadcast of this concert on several radio stations made the band even more popular. Since then the enthusiasm for the music of the Monika Roscher Big Band hasn’t stopped.

I need to confess here that I share this enthusiasm. Listening to this CD  was also for me one the most surprising moments this year. I think that this is really a path where musicians have found a new and unique look onto the genre “Big Band”.

Let’s hope that I have a chance to see this band live in the near future.

More information on tour dates and the band is available on their website under http://www.monikaroscher.com

Here is the latest video “Future 3″, a compilation of on-stage and backstage impressions of concerts in 2014.

And finally an iTunes playlist: