• Berl Olswanger and the Olswanger Beat

    Berl Olswanger and the Olswanger Beat

    Catalog #: BR8969

    Release Date: May 28, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Trombone
    Trumpet

    Blues and big band lovers are in for a swingin' treat with Big Round Records' new archival recording of BERL OLSWANGER AND THE OLSWANGER BEAT, the label’s third released recording by “Mr. Music of Memphis." Olswanger, whose musical career spanned over a half-century, could easily be called a jack-of-all-trades: a popular bandleader, a prolific composer of swing music, a serial entrepreneur, and a wildly successful teacher bringing the art of music-making to the masses.

  • Berl Olswanger at pepper records

    Berl Olswanger at Pepper Records

    Catalog #: BR8967

    Release Date: March 26, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Voice

    Berl Olswanger returns for a second installment of timeless archival recordings on Big Round Records, with BERL OLSWANGER AT PEPPER RECORDS, a collection of tunes recorded during the late-50’s golden era of the Memphis record business. Olswanger hit the state-of-the-art studios at Pepper Records to record 10 songs by William “Pat” Best, Floyd Huddleston, Olswanger himself, and more.

  • Berl Olswanger at the piano

    Berl Olswanger at the Piano

    Catalog #: BR8965

    Release Date: January 8, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Piano

    Big Round Records presents the first of five albums by “Mr. Music of Memphis,” Berl Olswanger, featuring tunes by Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, and more. From pop standards and jazz ditties to good old-fashioned polka, pianist Berl Olswanger wrested command of just about every style.

  • Berl Olswanger in the Studio

    Catalog #: BR8980

    Release Date: September 8, 2023

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano
    Voice

    Berl Olswanger, “Mr. Music of Memphis,” returns for a fifth installment of timeless archival recordings on Big Round Records with BERL OLSWANGER IN THE STUDIO. This never-before-heard collection transports listeners back to the pianist’s private studio in 1950’s Memphis where he recorded his early compositions, some of which went on to become fully orchestrated tracks on the 2021 release BERL OLSWANGER AT PEPPER RECORDS. With a smooth blend of blues, country, boogie-woogie, and ragtime influences, Olswanger delivers tunes that capture the popular sounds of the era. From the strong stride piano solo in Chicken Bone Man to the fluttering fills in Tennessee Skidoo, Olswanger’s inimitable approach shines through, inviting listeners into his private studio to witness an early period of the piano great’s legacy.

  • Big Round Sound

    Big Round Sound Vol. 1

    Catalog #: BR8942

    Release Date: July 10, 2015

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Chamber
    Jazz
    Guitar
    Harp
    Piano

    Big Round Record's first installment of its compilation series, BIG ROUND SOUND VOL. 1, presents a deep cross-section of the label's contemporary and eclectic catalog. From jazz and world music to folk, fusion, and progressive rock, this album features performances by Tony R. Clef, the Oscuro Quintet, Andy Jaffe and Branford Marsalis, Sophie Dunér, the Larksong Trio, Anne Vanschothorst, Juan Álamo, Jean-Philippe Grégoire, and more in works by Christina Rusnak, Svjetlana Bukvich, Sebastiano Meloni, Ecco La Musica, Bunny Beck, and others.

  • Detours

    Detours

    Catalog #: BR8938

    Release Date: May 12, 2015

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano

    DETOURS, the debut Big Round Records release from percussionist Joe Porter and pianist Joel Goodfellow, showcases the jazz duo's capacity for collaboration and improvisation, with animated and dynamic versions of well-known film and literary compositions.

  • Girl In Green

    Girl in Green

    Catalog #: BR8960

    Release Date: January 10, 2020

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Saxophone
    Trumpet

    New from Big Round Records comes jazz composer and pianist Paul English’s GIRL IN GREEN. The album features never-before-heard renditions of immortal classics as well as English’s original works. Listen as English and his cadre of masterful soloists carve a place for themselves in jazz history.

  • Manhattan Projections

    Manhattan Projections

    Catalog #: BR8922

    Release Date: April 24, 2012

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Percussion
    Piano
    Saxophone

    Big Round Records is proud to announce its reissue of Andy Jaffe's MANHATTAN PROJECTIONS, an album of the jazz composer/pianist's works for small band repertoire. This rerelease of the jazz classic includes the original seven works from the 1984 debut, the McDaniels session tracks from the 2001 Playscape reissue, plus three bonus tracks from the Tom McClung-Andy Jaffe piano trio exclusive to this release.

  • Missa Jazz

    Missa Jazz

    Catalog #: BR8968

    Release Date: May 14, 2021

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Liturgical
    Big Band

    Since its inception in 2006, the B-Side Band has become the premiere professional big band in the city of Brno in the Czech Republic. Now, under the direction of bandleader Josef Buchta, the band presents its newest album: MISSA JAZZ. In this latest work, the B-Side Band is joined by Chamber Orchestra Brno and the Ars Brunensis chamber choir; together, they perform Jaromír Hnilička’s Missa Jazz. As its name suggests, the work is a complete Mass, and the score for its first iteration is held at the Vatican Library. Now, the original composition has been expanded to include a chamber orchestra and several new choral parts, resulting in a total reimagining of the work. First debuted in the fall of 2008, this album is the first-ever studio recording of the final expanded version of the Missa Jazz.

  • The Berl Olswanger Show

    Catalog #: BR8971

    Release Date: April 22, 2022

    20th Century
    Jazz
    Piano

    Grab a drink, take a seat, and sway with your sweetie to the swinging sounds of pianist Berl Olswanger and his band on THE BERL OLSWANGER SHOW, Big Round Records’ fourth release of recordings by “Mr. Music of Memphis.” Recorded live in 1974, the never-before-heard album transports listeners to stageside seats as the band plays a historic set of toe-tapping tunes, from the horn-heavy Proud Mary to the country-western Green, Green Grass of Home. No matter the track, Olswanger’s presence is front and center, from his genre-blending skills and his technical chops at the piano to his ability to keep the band crisp and tight as they boogie through the set.

  • Tuesday Afternoon

    Catalog #: BR8916

    Release Date: September 27, 2011

    20th Century
    21st Century
    Solo Instrumental
    Guitar

    TUESDAY AFTERNOON is an album of Tony Clef's arrangements and transcriptions of a variety of works for nylon string guitar. A student of Richard Layman, Adam Holzman, and Stephane Wrembel, Clef's musical interests grew past the standard classical repertory and began learning and playing samba, bossa nova, and modern pop and rock songs. Clef has become adept at identifying complex harmonies and rhythms by ear, and his arrangements provide fresh takes on popular songs and standards that maintain the originals' integrity.