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Mace Francis Orchestra

The Mace Francis Orchestra (MFO) was formed late in 2004 by band-leader and composer Mace Francis to experiment with composition, in the style of the great modern big bands lead by Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones, Bill Holman and Maria Schneider. The result has been the coming together of some of Perth’s finest up and coming musician’s and composers to create exciting new music for big band.

In a very short time MFO has developed their own individual sound through a residency at the Brisbane Hotel since the start of 2005, and through special projects including a concert in August called “Chinese Whispers”. This concert, part of the Jazz Windows series at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, involved eight West Australian composers collaborating to write a new body of music especially for MFO.

“an inspiring performance… show-casing the extremely diverse creative approaches of each of the composers to this challenging compositional task and made for an absorbing, exciting and very entertaining evening.” Alan Corbet JazzWA.

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28
Album Review

Mace Francis Plus 11: Isolation Emancipation

Read "Isolation Emancipation" reviewed by Jack Bowers


After a brief pause to accommodate Covid-19 restrictions, Australian composer and arranger Mace Francis is back—with a brand new musical wardrobe, a new axe (trombone) and a pared-down ensemble reminiscent of the classic Art Pepper + Eleven album (with arrangements by Marty Paich) from 1960. Like that earlier album, Isolation Emancipation was written with Paich in mind—this is by and large light-hearted, happy music reminiscent of the West Coast “cool wave" of well over half a century ago, and quite ...

195
Album Review

Mace Francis Orchestra: Live

Read "Live" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Having already released two studio albums, the Mace Francis Orchestra from faraway Perth, Australia, goes live this time with a sturdy concert session taped in November, 2006 at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club in Melbourne during a tour of the country's eastern provinces. Even though less than three years old, the MFO shows considerable promise, as Francis has drawn to his side a number of West Australia's most accomplished musicians.

While the ensemble isn't especially well-served by the erratic sound quality ...

153
Album Review

Mace Francis Orchestra: Chinese Whispers

Read "Chinese Whispers" reviewed by Jack Bowers


In August 2005, barely a year after it was formed, the Mace Francis Orchestra appeared as part of the Jazz Windows Concert Series at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia. Chinese Whispers, the orchestra's first album, was recorded (in part) during that performance.

The orchestra was created, Francis writes, “to experiment with composition in the style of the great modern big bands led by Bob Brookmeyer, Thad Jones, Bill Holman and Maria Schneider, ...

185
Album Review

Mace Francis Orchestra: Introducing the Mace Francis Orchestra

Read "Introducing the Mace Francis Orchestra" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Composer/arranger Mace Francis formed his orchestra three years ago as an outlet for creative music in Western Australia, and this album, in which the twelve-piece ensemble is “introduced, is actually its second. The first, Chinese Whispers, was recorded four months earlier (in August, 2005) as a part of the Jazz Concert Window Series at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Edith Cowan University, Perth.

All of the tunes on Introducing were written by Francis, and they lay bare an ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Isolation Emancipation

Self Produced
2021

buy

Chinese Whispers

Self Produced
2007

buy

Live

Little Louie Records
2007

buy

Casserole For Two

From: Isolation Emancipation
By Mace Francis Orchestra

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