Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: The Art of Arranging

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: The Art of Arranging

The arranger’s art has been integral to the evolution of the SNJO from its inception in 1995. Consequently, the orchestra has developed lasting creative relationships with some of the world's most gifted and sought-after musician-composers. One such is GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Geoffrey Keezer, whose contributions to the SNJO repertoire have transformed and enhanced the music of iconic figures including Keith Jarrett, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Henri Mancini, John Scofield, Leonard Bernstein, and Wayne Shorter.

A former child prodigy, Keezer has played with such jazz legends as Art Blakey and Ray Brown and duetted with piano masters Kenny Barron and Chick Corea, who described Keezer’s playing as “beautiful” and his compositions as “very inspiring.” Touring with popular stars including Chris Botti, David Sanborn and Sting, Keezer has drawn praise from the former Police singer-bassist, who heard “a composer and conceptualist who can maintain the overall line and the DNA of the song in everything he plays.”

SNJO founder-director Tommy Smith says: “Since I began to commission Keezer over two decades ago, I always felt his strength in arranging and re-composition was on the slow ballads, but my perception soon changed when his reimagining of Teen Town shook the notes off the Jaco Pastorious classic.” The Art of Arrangement promises further adventures in sound and harmony.