There is an explanation on composer Michael Mantler’s website how in the process of digitising various old scores, Mantler, known for his work with Robert Wyatt, Carla Bley, and Jack Bruce, got to know once again some of his earliest work, specifically material from his 1968 double-album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra, on which an ensemble appeared that featured solo input from Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, and Roswell Rudd, among other totemic avant-garde figures.
With the encouragement of Christoph Huber, of Viennese jazz club Porgy & Bess, and that of Mantler musical associate Christoph Cech, an update was embarked upon. Performed live in 2013 at Porgy & Bess (see video below) old pieces were reworked and older material added. Sticking to the basic instrumentation, Mantler explains, was the plan, but now with added electric guitar and amplified string quartet.
Cech conducts what is now called the Nouvelle Cuisine big band on The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Update to be released in November by ECM. This features Mantler on trumpet, tenor saxist Harry Sokal, Austrian alto sax legend Wolfgang Puschnig, long term Mantler bandmate electric guitarist Bjarne Roup, pianist David Helbock, and the radio.string.quartet.vienna.
In pre-release publicity material Mantler comments, in response to a tabled question concerning the ratio of composition to improvisation that the formula has changed from the original album. “Even though the original idea was, even then, to control and somewhat limit what were, in my opinion, the ‘excesses’ of free improvisation, I came to find that there was still too much of it. Over the years, I have generally come to favour integrating improvisation ever more with notated compositional elements by providing more specific materials and ‘surroundings’ for the improviser, as well as the room to interpret written solo melodies in a fairly free manner. I hope that creates a continuity that melds improvisation and composition into one homogeneous work.”
Michael Mantler top photo Rainer Rygalyk / ECM and the Nouvelle Cuisine performing music recorded at The Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Update Porgy and Bess live shows, above