On September 7, the New York City-based Wommusic label will release Our Secret World, an album by Kurt Rosenwinkel and Orchestra de Jazz de Matosinhos (OJM). The seven-track disc will feature big-band arrangements of some of Rosenwinkel’s most well-known compositions, such as “Zhivago,” “Turns,” and “Use of Light.”

In recent years, Rosenwinkel has had several opportunities to play his music with a number of different big bands, from a nonet at the Pori Jazz Festival in Finland to the famous Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands, and he grew tantalized by the expanded textures that a large ensemble could offer his compositions. Then, in 2007, Rosenwinkel got a call from the OJM, a Portugal-based big band with an impressive track record of collaborative projects.
Following a series of successful concerts in Portugal in 2008, Rosenwinkel and OJM decided to pursue this recording project, which took place over a six-day period in September 2009. “We had three days of rehearsal which were totally intense — 12-hour rehearsals with almost no breaks,” Rosenwinkel recalls. “What made the whole project work was the attitude and enthusiasm of all the musicians. I really felt that everybody was supporting me, supporting the music, and really giving their best. It was a great challenge for them and they rose to the occasion. The spirit that was present during the whole thing was just beautiful.”

Our Secret World is Kurt’s third release on the independent Wommusic imprint, following 2009’s acclaimed Standards Trio offering Reflections and his 2008 album The Remedy — Live At The Village Vanguard (initially distributed via Artistshare).

The specific Rosenwinkel cuts heard on Our Secret World were chosen solely by OJM arrangers Carlos Azevedo and Pedro Guedes, with no advance input from the composer with the one exception of Track 4, “Dream of the Old.” “I’ve got to hand it to them,” says Rosenwinkel. “They chose the hardest stuff from my repertoire. I was psyched — it gave me a really good indication of how serious they were.”

In 2003, after many productive years in New York, progressing steadily as a leader while racking up sideman appearances with the likes of Brian Blade, Joshua Redman and Danilo Pérez, Rosenwinkel relocated to Europe, first to Zurich, Switzerland, then to his current home in Berlin, Germany. He now heads the guitar department as a tenured professor at the Jazz Institute of Berlin.

Our Secret World will be available via The Kurt Rosenwinkel Shop (in both CD and download formats), iTunes and Amazon.com.

Upcoming Kurt Rosenwinkel & OJM Events:
September 8-12: Iridium Jazz Club, New York City
September 15: Beantown Jazz Festival/Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA

For more information, go to www.kurtrosenwinkel.com.