I wrote this review for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.

The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble The Other Bridge (Oakland, 1999) (Nine Winds, 2000)
reviewed by Micah Holmquist
March 21, 2000

John Fumo (trumpet, flugelhorn),
Jeff Kaiser (trumpet),
Rob Blakeslee (trumpet, flugelhorn),
Mike Vlatkovich (trombone),
Danny Hemwall (trombone),
Scott Ray (trombone),
Bill Roper (tuba),
Vinny Golia (soprano saxophone, conductor),
Kim Richmond (alto saxophone),
Paul Sherman (english horn),
Bill Plake (tenor saxophone),
Eric Barber (woodwinds),
Steve Adams (alto saxophone, bass flute),
Alan Lechusza (woodwinds),
Tara Speiser (woodwinds),
Sarah Shoenbeck (bassoon),
David Johnson (percussion),
Brad Dutz (percussion),
Alex Cline (percussion),
Wayne Peet (piano, keyboards),
Harry Scorzo (violin),
Jeff Gauthier (violin),
Jonathan Golove (cello),
Guenevere Measham (cello),
Colin Pearson (cello),
Ken Filiano (bass),
Stephanie Henry (conductor)

My immediate reaction to The Other Bridge was quite simply that this sounds cool. It didn’t take much effort or focus for the music to instantly grab hold of me and take me on a beautiful journey. There is bits to be found here of Miles Davis circa both Sketches of Spain and the second quintet. Swing and bebop influences play a part, as do echoes of fusion and free jazz. And let’s not forget the classical and even folk influences that show up more than once. Vinny Golia and his Large Ensemble do not sound at all self-conscious as they perform this juxtaposition even though the elaborate nature of a group this large suggests that some planning probably did go on.

The individual players generally seem strong although at a couple of points some of the musicians sound like they are just going through the motions. Still there is lot of detailed work here. Saxophonist Bill Plake with his Archie Shepp stylings stands out here as done pianist and keyboardist Wayne Peet. Peet’s best work comes in the middle of a tune called "Push the Machine" where he plays the organ as well as when he provides keyboard accompaniment to a solo by violinist Harry Scorzo on the whimsical closer "Master of the Playing Cards."

That said, the best material is usually when entire sections if not the entire orchestra are playing together. Sometimes this means just covering a theme while at other points, like the startling two part composition "The Village of Forgotten Men," the sum of the collective is more chaos and confusion than anything else. A lot of credit for this belongs to Golia who is not only one of two conductors but also wrote all of the compositions and arrangements for this release.

The Other Bridge is made up of two discs which together contain nearly two and a half-hours of music. The group recorded all of the material in a live performance at Yoshi’s in Oakland, California this past August 9. These details are not mere technicalities as the entire disc evinces the feel of a live concert. The crowd claps near the end of just about every solo and astute listeners will hear the same person punctuating the end of more than one tune with a loud "yeah!" Right from the beginning, those listening to this recording will tend to agree.

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