Circum Grand Orchestra is indeed not your ordinary jazz band. When the twelve musicians from Circum, a variable-shaped posse, join forces, you get a double rhythm section (two guitars, two basses, two drums and a piano), reinforced by a powerful wind/brass section of five, and a repertoire which goes from free-form jazz to saucy songs. The result is intense music with a rock'n'roll energy, a music that dares to play, and to free itself from stylistic bonds.

This out-of-the-ordinary band was bound to make an extraordinary record: born from their meeting with singer Charlene Martin, this is the result of a year-long work on the song format, and more precisely on French chanson (a definite style in itself), a new territory for a music that was mainly instrumental.

The challenge behind this music, written in 2004 by Olivier Benoit, Sebastien Beaumont, Christophe Hache and Peter Orins, was to offer new and contemporary vocal jazz, without any compromise, and with the legacy of free jazz and rock'n'roll in mind.

Circum Grand Orchestra is an outstanding group on several accounts. These 12 musicians from the Circum collective form a double rhythm section–2 guitarists, 2 bassists, 2 drummers and one pianist–supporting a strong, vigorous 5 horn section. The band delivers rich and varying compositions, from the most experimental jazz to uninhibited songs. The result is a dense and powerful music, always ready to play with itself and free itself from stylistic constraints.

In 2010, CGO proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary and releases a second record on Circum-Disc. “Le Ravissement” is the fruit of a new project. After a work centered on “songs” and another “monumental” project with Feldspath (Circum Grand Orchestra + la Pieuvre), the orchestra returns to a purely instrumental form, based on a wide-ranged, rhythmic and lyrical writing, composed mainly by Olivier Benoit. The 6 tracks of the album also allow the band’s members to show their qualities as improvisers.

Julien Favreuille - Saxophone
Jean-Baptiste Perez - Saxophone
Christophe Rocher - Clarinet
Christophe Motury - Trumpet
Christian Pruvost - Trumpet
Sébastien Beaumont - Guitar
Olivier Benoit - Guitar
Stefan Orins - Piano
Nicolas Mahieux - Double-Bass
Christophe Hache - Bass
Jean-Luc Landsweerdt - Drums
Peter Orins - Drums Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.