The WDR Big Band Cologne

The WDR Big Band Cologne: Prism -- The Music of Bill Dobbins and Peter Erskine

by Jack Bowers
March 1, 2000

On Prism, recorded in 1995 (one track) and ’98, the WDR (West German Radio) ensemble from Cologne, another of Germany’s growing phalanx of exemplary big bands, places its indelible mark on five dynamic compositions by music director Bill Dobbins and three colorful essays penned by drummer Peter Erskine and arranged by Dobbins. While these charts are definitely aimed toward the serious–minded listener, they are always accessible and swing like a pendulum, thanks largely to Erskine and his able–bodied teammates in ...