Orange Then Blue

What started as a little big band from Boston that played original arrangements of <a href="spotify:artist:1W8TbFzNS15VwsempfY12H">Charles Mingus</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0kbYTNQb4Pb1rPbbaF0pT4">Miles Davis</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4PDpGtF16XpqvXxsrFwQnN">Thelonious Monk</a> compositions grew exponentially. Led by drummer <a href="spotify:artist:46FHIhAM7HbW4tU1u8ca2T">George Schuller</a>, son of the renowned <a href="spotify:artist:4HirYEf3m0K7N1bP2JWcEt">Gunther Schuller</a>, OTB became more of a reflection of the downtown New York scene. They continued to perform provocative charts of well-known jazz pieces, but incorporated many of the original compositions of their rotating group members, who included <a href="spotify:artist:4xh0ZbNmLCyjiJ02rPyXLx">Andy Laster</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1wXmJsV1u19OVawmTYOlHo">Matt Darriau</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6oC8pkKcHeEjQSvnyUy1c0">Dave Ballou</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2KTHYtycTGrBi1xcLaQ2AO">Chris Speed</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3SQrLX0O6RbBjmSIkwCgJb">Dave Douglas</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0vWMfxYwONzDi2ae2ihZaZ">Andrew D'Angelo</a>. The group also included folk melodies and rhythms from Africa, Brazil, and the Balkan countries into their repertoire, to create unique improvisational opportunities and a push-the-envelope world music stance that was unlike any other ensemble. They derived their name from the <a href="spotify:artist:1W8TbFzNS15VwsempfY12H">Mingus</a> evergreen "Orange (Was the Color of Her Dress), Then (Silk) Blue." ~ Michael G. Nastos