Chris Walden's
Kurt Marti Suite utilizes the sacred poems of Kurt Marti, a priest whose religious poetry was highly rated.
Walden utilizes his big band and the 67 voices of the St. John's Choir for the 12-part suite. While there are occasional solos, including from tenor saxophonist
Brandon Fields, altoist Jeff Driskill, and trombonist Bob McChesney, the music mostly features ensembles and the voices. The CD concludes with a
Michael Brecker piece, "Slings and Arrows," that
Walden had meant to record for years and is included in tribute to the late saxophonist. Due to the brevity of the program and the esoteric nature of the suite (which is more highly recommended to fans of choirs than to big-band collectors), this CD (clearly close to
Chris Walden's heart) is mostly for specialized tastes. ~ Scott Yanow