Michael Dease Big Band to Release New Album October 30
The jazz ensemble features ten Gregg Hill compositions recorded in Lansing.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Jazz
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The Michael Dease Big Band will release their new album, The Sleeper, on October 30, 2026. Distributed by Cold Plunge Records, the project showcases compositions by Gregg Hill.
Why it matters
The album serves as a collaborative exploration of Gregg Hill's work, utilizing diverse arrangements to reinterpret his jazz compositions. Michael Dease, a 2025 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition, led the project to highlight these pieces through various big band textures.
The production includes 10 compositions by Gregg Hill, supported by the work of 10 different arrangers from a larger team of 15. The track Mr. Pea specifically clocks in at 11:44.
The players
Michael Dease
A jazz musician and bandleader who earned a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition.
Gregg Hill
A jazz composer whose works serve as the foundation for the new big band album.
Eddie Henderson
An established jazz trumpeter and guest soloist who contributes to the album.
Virginia MacDonald
A jazz clarinetist who performs as a featured guest soloist on the record.
The details
Michael Dease assembled a professional ensemble of musicians from across the country to execute the project, featuring guest soloists Eddie Henderson and Virginia MacDonald. The recordings reflect Dease's initiative to bring varying creative perspectives to Hill's musical foundations.
Timeline
The band recorded the album on May 18-19, 2025.
The album The Sleeper is released on October 30, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This release follows the bandleader's recognition by the Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition, marking a shift toward more complex, collaborative ensemble projects. It highlights the growing trend of high-concept, composer-led jazz records in the current big band landscape.
Listeners can access the new compositions through Cold Plunge Records starting on the release date. The ensemble highlights the technical contributions of various arrangers and soloists throughout the record.
The takeaway
This album demonstrates how a single body of work can be reinterpreted through diverse arrangements to create a cohesive big band sound. Listeners interested in contemporary jazz can study the individual contributions of the 10 arrangers to better understand modern orchestration techniques.
Further reading
Explore more local releases and updates on the Jazz section page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Broadway World.
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