" german reedman gebhard ullmann's the big band project stands right on the corner of chaos and order. it's a busy intersection, and the rush-hour collisions witnessed here are spectacular. featuring the ndr big band playing fresh arrangement's of ullmann's own tunes 'the big band project' is a meticulously detailed and skillfully choreographed piece of work. density, texture and timbre come into play as prominently as melody, harmony and rhythm, this is no old fashioned swinging big band, but a grinding, churning and monstrously dynamic time machine set to the immediate future. ullmann's haunting bass clarinet voice in particular highlights his big band outing. he makes the notoriously stubborn instrument wail like a tenor sax, a bari and a clarinet all at once, perpetually exploring its extended range and wide palette of naturally occuring timbres, from woody to brassy. (4 1/2 stars) ." (ed enright in downbeat, usa 7/'05)

" an important project not only as part of gebhard ullmann's discography but also in the genre of modern creative big band jazz. this set of five live and one studio recorded compositions subjects the german composer's finest charts to the writing skills of some of the most sophisticated jazz arrangers active in the early years of the twenty-first century. ullmann's writing is filled with layers of mystery, often seeming to defy logical resolution, not unlike a novel by john fowles; but to watch the onion peeled, you must listen closely. each piece performed by the powerhouse north german radio big band was recorded earlier with small groups ... in almost every way ullmann gets it right. (4 1/2 stars)." (steven loewy, all music guide, usa 3/'05)


"... ullmann simply contemporizes the big band genre. these pieces contain cohesive storylines, topped off with identifiable melodies and multi-genre stylizations. it all transparently morphs into something quite tangible, supplanted by an excitable fun-factor that beckons repeated spins. (essential listening...)" glenn astarita (jazzreview usa, 5/'05)

" the big band project is an excellent example of the vitality to be found in european jazz."
duncan heining (jazzwise, uk '5/05)

"... ein famoses stück durcharrangierte freiheit." johannes völz (tagesspiegel berlin, 2/'05)