New Jazz Orchestra


The New Jazz Orchestra was a British jazz big band that was active from 1963 to 1970. Neil Ardley recorded several more albums with many of the NJO's members, which were released under his own name.

Origins and members

The NJO was the offspring of a popular weekend jazz club, the "Jazzhouse" based at the Green Man, Blackheath where the "house" band was the Ian Bird Quintet. The conversation ended with the decision to form such a band around the kernel of the Ian Bird Quintet - Burrows had the "book" and Carter undertook to write some arrangements to help swell the initial repertoire.
The newly formed band finally debuted at The Green Man at Christmas, 1963 as "The Bird/Burrows Big Band". Following the departure of Ian Bird from the group, the band briefly became "The Neoteric Jazz Orchestra" but later settled for "The New Jazz Orchestra".
Later in 1964, the NJO found itself leaderless, largely gigless and somewhat wanting in enthusiasm. Ian Carr approached Les Carter with the suggestion that a friend of his might bring along an arrangement for the band to play through. The "friend" turned out to be pianist and composer Neil Ardley, and the arrangement was of Duke Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone". It was not long after this that Ardley was invited by the members to take over the leadership of the NJO - a mantle that he assumed until 1971.
Under Ardley, a self-confessed disciple of Gil Evans, the NJO personnel and instrumentation varied in a chameleonic fashion, following the colours of his evolving arranging and composing style. However, the original palette of instruments and personnel was at last reunited in 1993 for a celebratory 30th-anniversary gig at the Barbican Centre, London.

Discography